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NARRATIVE 

OF THE 

ADVENTURES AND SUFFERINGS 

OP 

iJOHN JR. tTEWFITT^ 

O^LY SURVIVOR OF THE CREW OF THE 

SHIP BOSTON, 

DURING A CAPTIVITY OF NEARLY THREE YEARS 

AMONG THE 

SAVAGES OF NOOTKA SOUND: 

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE 

MJNNERS, MODE OF LIVING, AND RELIGIOUS 
OPINIONS OF THE NATIVES. 



•ne representing the Ship in possession of the Savages, and the 
other a Portrait of the- Indian Chief Maqtiina, 

** Dire scenes of horror on a savage shore, 
** In which, a witness sad, a part I bore." 



MIDDLETOWN: 

PRINTED BY LOOMIS AND RICHARDS, 

And Re-printed by Rojtland IIvrst, Wakefield; 

AND FUBLISH£D BY THOMAS TFGG, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON; AND 
SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS^,- 






M 



©fttrfct of Comtecttcttt, 0gr* 



BE IT REMEMBERED; That 
on the eighth day af March^ in the 
ikirty-nnth year of the Independence 



of the United States of America^ John R. Jewitt, 
of the said District^ hath deposited in this office^ 
the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as 
proprietor, in the ins or ds following, to wit, 

A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of 
John R. Jezeitt; only survivor of the crezo of the 
ship Boston, during a captivity of nearly three 
years among the savages of Nootka Sound: With 
an account of the manners, mode of living, and 
religious opinions of the natives. Embellished with 
two plates, representing the ship in possesion of the 
savages, and a portrait of their chief, Maquina. 

*' Dire scenes of horror on a savage shore, 
*' In which a witness sad, a part 1 bore." 

Jn conformity to an act of the Congress of the' 

United States, entitled, " An Act for the encou- 

** ragement of learning, by securing the copies 

*' of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the proprietors 

*' oj such copies, during the times therein men' 

»< Honed:' 

HENRY W. EDWARDS, 

Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 

A (rue copy ofrecoi'd, examined and sealed by me^ 
HExNRY W.EDWARDS, 
Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 



To the JEnglish Reader. 



The following very interesting work 
has passed through many editions in 
America, and there can be no doubt 
but it will excite much sympathy in this 
country ; more especially as the hero 
of the narrative was a native of Great 
Britain. 

The editor of this edition received 
the copy from the hands of Mr. Jewitt, 
the author, at Middletown, in the State 
of Connecticut, in which town he has 
been some time advantageously settled 
in business, and at whose house the edi- 
tor has spent many pleasant hours. His 
companion in misfortunes, Thompson, 
on his arrival at Boston, immediately 
went to Philadelphia, his native place. 



IT 

where he was soon after taken ill and 
died. 

We have many books of fiction in 
our language, which have been forages 
read with much avidity by our youth ; 
many of them, with all the aid of fiction, 
certainly not equally interesting with 
this well authenticated narrative. 

Tn many parts the mode of expres- 
sion in the narrative, might, perhaps, 
have been improved, but the editor 
has thought it best for the author to 
speak at all times for himself. 



OF 

JOHN R.JEWITT. 



X WAS born in Boston, a considerable borough 
town in Lincolnshire, in Great-Britain, on the 
21st of May, 1783. My father, Edward Jewitt, 
was by trade a blacksmith, and esteemed among 
the first in his line of business in that place. At 
the age of three years I had the misfortune to lose 
my mother, a most excellent woman, who died 
in childbed, leaving an infant daughter, who, with 
myself, and an elder brother by a former marriage 
of my father, constituted the whole of our family. 
My father, who considered a good education as 
the greatest blessing he could bestow on his child- 
ren, was very particular in paying every atten- 
tion to us in that respect, always exhorting us 
to behave well, and endeavouring to impress on 
our minds the principles of virtue and morality, 
and no expense in his power was spared io have 
us instructed in whatever might render us useful 
and respectable in society. My brothet, who was 
* B ' 



four years older than myself and of a more hardy 
coDsitution, he destined for his own trade, but 
to me he had resolved to give an education supe- 
rior to that which is to be obtained in a common 
school, it being his intention that I should adopt 
one of the learned professions. Accordingly at the 
age of twelve he took me from the school in which 
I had been taught the first rudiments of learning, 
and placed me under the care of Mr. Moses, 
a celebrated teacher of an academy at Donnington, 
about eleven miles from Boston, in order to be 
instructed in the Latin language, and in some of 
the higher branches of the Mathematics. I there 
made considerable proficiency in writing, teading, 
and arithmetic, and obtained a pretty good know- 
ledge of navigation and of surveying; but my 
progress in Latin was slow, not only owing to the 
little inclination 1 felt for learning that language, 
but to a natural impediment in my speech, which 
rendered it extremely difficult for me to pronounce 
it, so that in a short time, with my father's con- 
sent, I wholly relinquished the study. 

The period of my «tay at this place was the most 
happy of my life. My preceptor, Mr. Moses, was 
not only a learned, but a virtuous, benevolent, 
and amiable man, universally beloved by his pu- 
pils, who took delight in his instruction, and to 
whom he allowed €very proper amusement, that 
consisted with attention to their studies. 



One of the principal pleasures I enjoyed was ia 
attending the fair, which is regularly held twice a 
year at Donniogton, in the spring and in the fall, 
the second day being wholly devoted to selling 
horses, a prodigious number of which are^brought 
thither for that purpose. As the scholars on these 
occasions were always indulged with a holiday, I 
cannot express with what eagerness of youthful 
expectation I used to anticipate these fairs, nor 
what delight 1 felt at the various shows, exhibi- 
tions of wild beasts, and other entertainments that 
they presented; I was^fr*»quently visited by my fa- 
ther, who always discovered much joy on seeing 
me, praised me for my acquirements, and usually 
left me a small sum for my pocket expenses. 

Among the scholars at this academy, there 
was one named Charles Rice, with whom I formed 
a particular intimacy, which continued during the 
whole of my stay. He was my class and room 
mate, and as the town he came from, Ashby, 
was more than 60 miles off, instead of returning 
home, he used frequently during the vacation, to 
go with me to Boston, where he always met with 
a cordial [welcome from my father, who received 
me on these occasions with the greatest affection, 
apparently taking much pride in me. My friend 
in return used to take me with him to an uncle 
of his in Donningfon, a very wealthy man, who, 
having no children of his own, was very fond of 
B 2 



8 

his nephew, and on his account I was always 
a welcome visitor at the house. I had a good 
voice, and an ear for masic, to which I was al- 
>vay8 passionately attached, though my father en- 
deavoured to discourage this propensity, considering 
It, (as is too frequently the case) but an introduc- 
tion to a life of idleness and dissipation, and hav- 
ing been remarked for ray singing at church, 
which was regularly attended on Sundays and 
festival days by the scholars, Mr. Morthrop, my 
iriend Rice's uncle, used frequently to request me 
t.o sing ; he was always pleased with my exhibitions 
of this kind, audit was no doubt one of the means 
that secured me so gracious a reception at his 
house. A number of other gentlemen in the place 
would sometimes send for me to sing at their 
houses, and as I was not a little vain of my vocal 
powers, I was much gratified on receiving these 
invitations, and accepted them with the greatest 
pleasure. 

Thus passed away the two happiest years of 
my life, wiien my father, thinking that 1 had re- 
ceived a sufficient education for the profession he 
intended me for, took me from school at Donning- 
ton in order to apprentice me to Doctor Mason, a 
surgeon of eminence at Reasby, in the neighbour- 
hood of the celebrated Sir Joseph Banks. With 
regret did I part from my school acquaintance, 
particularly my friend Rice, and returned home 



with my father, on a short visit to my family, 
preparatory to my inteuded apprenticeship. The 
disinclination I ever had fell for the profession my 
father wished me to pursue, was still further in- 
creased on my retuin. When a child I v^as al- 
ways fond of being in the shop, among the work- 
men, endeavouring to imitate what I saw them 
do; this disposition so far increased after my leav- 
ing the academy, that I could not bear to hear 
the least mention made of my being apprenticed 
to a surgeon, and I used so many entreaties with 
my father to pursuade him to give up this plan 
and learn me his own trade, that he at last con- 
iented. More fortunate would it probably have 
been for me, had I gratified the wishes of this 
affectionate parent, in adopting the profession he 
had chosen for me, than thus to have induced him to 
sacrifice them to mine. However it might have been, 
I was at length introduced into the shop, and 
my natnral turn of mind corresponding with the 
employment, I became in a short time uncommonly 
expert at the work to which I was set. I now felt 
myself well contented, pleased with my occupation, 
and treated with much affection by my father, and 
kindness by my step-mother, my father having 
once more entered the state of matrimony, with a 
widow much younger than himself, who had been 
brought up in a superior manner, and was an aroia* 
ble and sensible woman. 

B 3 



10 

Aboata year after I had commenced this appren- 
tieship, my father finding that he could carry oq 
his business to more advantage in Hull, removed 
thither with his family. An event of no little 
importance to me, as it in a great measure influ- 
enced my future destiny. Hull being one of the 
best ports in England, and a place of great trade, 
my father had there full employment for his numer- 
ous workmen, particularly in vessel work. This 
naturally leading me to an acquaintance with the 
sailors on board sQme of the ships : the many re- 
markable stories they told me of their voyages and 
adventures, and of the manners and customs of 
the nations they had seen, excited a strong wish ia 
me to visit foreign countries, which was encreased 
by my reading the voyages of Captain Cook, and 
some other celebrated navigators. 

Thus passed the four years that I lived at 
Hull, where my father was esteemed by all who 
knew him, as a worthy, industrious, and thriving 
roan. At this period a circumstance occured which 
aS'orded me the opportunity I had for some time 
wished, of gratifying my ioclinatioa of going 
abroad. . 

Among oar principal customers at Hull, were 
the Americans who frequented that port, and from 
whose conversation, my father as well as myself 
formed the most favorable opiDion of that coud- 



11 

try, as affording an excellent field for the exertions 
of industry, and a flattering prospect for tlie esfab* 
lishment of a young man iu life. In the summer 
of the year 1802, during the peace between Eng- 
land and France, the ship Boston, belonging to 
Boston, in Massachusetts, and commanded h» 
Captain John Salter,^ arrived at Hull, whither she 
came to take on board a cargo of such goods as 
were wanted for the trade with the Indians, on 
the North-N^est coast of America, from whence 
after having taken in a lading of furs and skins, 
she was to proceed to China, and from thence home 
to America. The ship, having occasion for many 
repairs and alterations, necessary for so long a 
voyage, the Captain applied to my father to 60 the 
smith's work, which was very considerable. That 
gentleman, who was of a social turn, used often 
to/ call at my father's house, where he passed many 
of his evenings, with his chief and second mates, 
Mr. B. Delouisa and Mr. William Ingraham, the 
latter a fine young man of about twenty, of a most 
amiable temper, and of such affable manners, as 
gained him the love and attachment of the whole 
crew. These gentlemen used occasionally to 
take me with them to the theatre, an amusement 
which I was very fond of, and which my father 
rather encouraged than objected io, as he thought 
it a good means of preventing young men who are 
naturally inclined to seek for something to amuse 
them, from frequenting taverns, ale-houses, ami 



12 

places of bad resort, equally destructive of the 
health and morals, while the stage frequently fur- 
Dishes excellent iessoas of morality aad good 
conduct. 

In the evenings that he passed at my father's. 
Captain Salter, who had for a great number of 
years been at sea, and seen almost all parts of 
the world J used sometimes to speak of his voyages, 
and observing me listen with much attention to 
his relations, he one day when I had brought him 
some work, said to me in rather a jocose manner, 
John, how should you like to go with me"? 1 
answered, that it would give me great pleasure, 
that I had for a long time wished to visit foreign 
countries, particularly America, which I had been 
told so many fine stories of, and that if my father 
would give his consent, and he was willing to take 
me with him, I would go. I shall be very glad 
to do it said he, if your father can be prevailed oii 
to let you go, and as I want an expert smith for an 
armourer, the one I have shipped for that purpose 
Bot being sufficiently master of bis trade, I have 
DO doubt that you will answer my turn well, as I 
perceive you are both active and ingeDious, and 
OQ my return to America I shall probably be able 
to do something much better for you in Boston ; 
I will take the first opportunity of speaking to 
your father about it, and try to persuade him to 
coDseut. He accordingly the next evening that he 



13 

called at our house, introduced the subject : my 
father at first would not listen to the proposal. 
That best of parents, though anxious for my advan- 
tageous establishment in life, could not bear to 
think of parting with me, but on Captain Salter's 
telling him of what benefit it would be to me 
to go the voyage with him, and that it was a 
pity to keep a promising and ingenious young fel- 
low, like myself, confined to a small shop in Eng- 
land, when if I had tolerable success, I might 
do 80 much better in America, where wages were 
much higher and living cheaper, he at length gave 
up his objections, and consented that I should ship 
on board the Boston as an armourer, at the rate 
of thirty dollars per month; with an agreement 
that the amount due to me, together with a certain 
sum of money which my father gave Capt. Salter 
for that purpose, should be laid out by him on the 
North-west coast Jn the purchase of furs for my 
account, to be disposed of in China for such goods 
as would yield a profit on the return o^the ship; 
my father being solicitous to give me every advan- 
tage in his power, of well establishing myself in 
my trade in Boston, or some other maritime town 
of America. Such were the flattering expectations 
which this good man indulged respecting me. 
Alas! the fatal disaster that befel us, not only 
blasted all these hopes, but involved me in ex- 
treme distress and wretchedness for a long period 
after. 



14 

The ship having undeT-gone a tliorough repair 
and been well coppered, proceeded to take on board 
her cargo, which consisted of English cloths, Dutch 
blankets, looking glasses, beads, knives, razors, 
&c. which were received from Holland, some sugar 
and molasses, about twenty hogsheads of rum,^ 
including stores for the ship, a great quantity of 
ammunition, cutlasses, pistols, and three thousand 
muskets and fowling pieces. The ship being 
loaded and ready for sea, as I was preparing for 
my departure, my father came to me, and taking 
me aside, said to me with much emotion, John, 
I am now going to part with you, and heaven 
only knows if we shall ever again meet. But in 
whatever part of the world you are, always bear it, 
in mind, that on your own conduct will depend 
your success in life. Be honest, industrious, fru- 
gal, and temperate, and you will not fail, in what- 
soever country it may be your lot to be placed, 
to gain yourself friends- Let the Bible be your 
guide, and your reliance in any fortune that may 
befal you, that Almighty Being, who knows how 
to bring forth good from evil, and who never 
deserts those who put their trust in him. He re- 
peated his exhortations to me to lead an honest 
and christian life, and to recollect that I had a 
father, a mother, a brother, and sister, who could 
not but feel a strong interest in my welfare, en- 
joining me to write him by the first opportunity 
that should offer to England, from whatever part 



IS 

of the world I might be in, more particiiiarly on 
my arrival iu Boston. This 1 promised to do, but 
long unhappily was it before I was able to fulfil 
this promise. I then took an affectionate leave of 
my worthy parent, whose feelings, would hardly 
permit him to speak, and bidding an alTectionatc 
farewell to my brother, sister, and step-mother, 
who expressed the greatest solicitude for my fu- 
ture fortune, went on board the ship, which 
proceeded to the Downs, to be ready for the first 
favourable wind. I found myself well accommo- 
dated on board as regarded my work, an iron forge 
Slaving been erected on deck ; this my father had 
made for the ship on a new plan, for which he 
afterwards obtained a patent ; while a corner of the 
steerage was appropriated to my vice bench, so that 
in bad weather I could work below. 

On the third day of September, 1 802, we sail- 
ed from the Downs with a fair wind, in company 
with twenty-four sail of American vessels, most of 
which were bound home, 

I was sea-sick for a few of the first days, but it 
was of short continuance, and on my recovery I 
found myself in uncommonly fine health and spirits, 
and went to work with alacrity at my forge, in 
putting in order some of the muskets, and making 
daggers, knives, and' small hatchets for the Indian 
trade, while iu wet and stormy weather I was oc- 



16 

€upied below iu Cling and polishing theni. This 
was my employment, having but little to do with 
sailing the vessel, though I used occasionally to 
lend a hand in assisting the seamen in taking io 
and making sail. As I had never before been out of 
sight of laud, I cannot describe my sensations, 
after I had recovered from the distressing eflfecfrs 
of sea-sickness, on viewing the mighty ocean by 
which I was surrounded, bound only by the sky, 
while its waves rising in mountains, seemed every 
moment to threaten our ruin.. Manifest as is the 
hand of Providence in preserving its creatures from 
destruction, in no instance is it more so than on the 
great deep; for whether we consider in its tumul- 
tary motions the walery deluge that each moment 
menaces to overwhelm us, the immense violence of 
its shocks, the little that interposes between us and 
death, a single plank forming our only security, 
which, should it unfortunately be loosened wefuld 
plunge us at once into the abyss, our gratitude 
ought strongly to be excited towards that super- 
intending Deity who in so wonderful a manner 
sustains our lives amid the waves. 

We had a pleasant and favourable passage of 
twenty-nine days to the Island of St. Catherine on 
the coast of Brazils, where the Captain had de* 
termined to stop for a few days to wood and water. 
This place belongs to the Portuguese. On entering 
the harbour we were saluted by the fort which we 



17 

retarned. The next day the Governor of the 
Island came on board of us with his suite ; Captain 
Salter received him with much respect and invited 
him to dine with him, which he accepted. The 
ship remained at St. Catherine's four days, during 
which time, we were busily employed in taking ia 
wood, water, and fresh provisions, Captain Salter 
thinking it best to furnish himself here with a full 
supply for his voyage to the North- West coast, 
so as not to be obliged to stop at the Sandwich 
Islands. St. Catherine is a very commodious place 
for vessels to stop at that are bound round Cape 
Horn, as it abounds with springs of fine water, 
with excellent oranges, plantains, and bananas. 

Having completed our stores we put to sea, 
and on the tweaty-fifth of December, at length 
passed Cape Horn, which we had mAde no less 
than thirty-six days before, but were repeatedly 
forced back by contrary winds, expriencing very 
rough and tempestuous weather in doubling it. 

Immediately after passing. Cape Horn, all oar 
dangers and ditHcultles seemed to be at an end; the 
weather became fine, and so little labour was ne* 
tjessary on board the ship^ that the men soon reco- 
vered from their fatigue and were in excellent 
npirits. A few days after we fell in with au Eng- 
lish South Sea Whaling Ship, homeward bound, 
which was the only vessel we spoke with on 
C 



18 

our voyage. We now took the trade wind or 
monsoon, during which we enjoyed the finest wea- 
ther possible, 80 that* for the space of a fortnight 
we were not obliged to reeve a topsail or to make 
a tack, and so light was the duty and easy the life 
of the sailors during this time, that they appear- 
ed the happiest of any people in the world. 

Captain Salter, who had been for many years 
in the East-India trade, was a ^ost excellent 
seaman, and preserved the strictest order and disci- 
pline on board his ship, though he was a maa 
of mild temper and conciliating manners, and 
disposed to allow every indulgence to his men, 
not inconsistent with their duty. We had on board 
a tine band of music, with which on Saturday 
nighty, when the weather was pleasant, we were 
accustomed to be regaled, the Captain ordering 
them to play for several hours for the amusement 
of the crew. This to me was most delightful, 
especially during the serene evenings we experi- 
enced in traversing the Southern Ocean. As for 
myself, during the day I was constantly occupied 
at my forge, in refiUiag or. repairing some of the 
iron work of the vessel, but principally in mak- 
ing tomahawks, daggers, &c. for the North West 
coast. 

During the first part of oar voyage we saw 
scarcely any fish, excepting some whales, a few 



19 

•harks, and flying fish ; but after weathering Cape 
Horn ue met with numerous shoals of sea por- 
poises, several of whom we caught, and as we 
had been for some time without fresh provisions, 
I found it not only a palatable but really a very 
excellent food. ' To one who has never before seen 
them, a shaol of these fish presents a very striking 
and singular appearance ; beheld at a distance com- 
ing towards a vessel they look not unlike a great 
number of small black waves rolling over one 
another in a confused manner and approaching 
with great swiftness. As soon as a shoal is seen 
all is bustle and activity on board the ship, the 
grains and the harpoons are immediately got ready, 
and those who are best skilled in throwing theni 
take their stand at the bow and along the gunwale 
anxiously awaiting the welcome troop as they 
come, gamboling and blowing around the vessel, 
in search of food. When pierced with the har- 
poon and drawn on board, unless the fish is in- 
stantly killed by the stroke, which rarely happens, 
it utters most pitiful cries, greatly resembling those 
of an infant. The flesh cut into steaks and broiled, 
is not unlike very coarse beef, and the harslet in 
appearance and taste is so much like that of a hog, 
that it would be no easy matter to distinguish the 
one from the other; from this circumstance the 
sailors have given the name of the herring hog to 
this fish; I was told by some of the crew, that if 
one of them happens to free itself from the grains or . 
C 2 



20 

harpooos, when sfnick, all the others, attracted 
by the blood, immediately quit the ship and give 
chase to the wounded one, and as soon as they 
overtake it immediately tear it in pieces. We 
also caught a large shark, which had followed 
the ship for several days with a hook which I 
made for the purpose, and although the flesh was 
by no means equal to that of the herring hog, yet 
to those destitute as we were of any thing fresh, 
I found it eat very well. After passing the Cape 
when the sea had become calm we saw great 
numbers of Albatrosses, a large brown and white 
bird of the goose kind, one of which Captain Salter 
shot, whose wings measured from their extreraitieft 
fifteen feet. One thing, however, I must not omit 
mentioning, as it struck me in a most singular 
and extraordinary manner. This was, that oa 
passing Cape Horn in December, which was mid* 
summer in that climate, the nights were so light, 
without any moon, that we found no difficulty 
whatever in reading small print which we fre- 
quently did during our watches. 

In this manner, with a fair wind and easy wea« 
tber from the 28th of December, the period of our 
passing Cape Horn, we pursued our voyage to the 
Northward until the 12th of March, 1803, when 
we m%de Woody Point in Nootka Sound on the 
North-west Coast of America. We immediately 
stood up the Sound for Nootka, where Captain 



21 

Salter Bad determined to stop in order to supply 
the ship with wood and water before proceeding 
up the coast to trade. But in order to avoid the 
risque of any molestation or interruption to his 
men from the Indians, while thus employed, he 
proceeded with the ship about five miles to the 
Northward of the village, which is situated on 
Friendly Cove, and sent out his chief mate with 
several of the crew in the boat to find a good place 
for anchoring her. After sounding for some time, 
they returned with information that they had dis- 
covered a secure place for anchorage, on the 
Western side of an inlet or small bay at about half 
a mile from the coast, near a small island which 
protected it from the sea, and where there was 
plenty of wood and excellent water. The ship 
accordingly came to anchor in this place, at twelve 
o'clock at night, in twelve fathom water, muddy 
bottom, and so near the shore that to prevent the 
ship from winding we secured her by a hauser to 
the trees. 

On the morning of the next day, the 13th, seve- 
ral of the natives came on board in a canoe from 
the village of Nootka, with their king, called 
Maquina, who appeared much pleased on seeing 
OS, and with great seeming cordjality, welcomed 
Captain Salter and his officers to his country. As 
I had never before beheld a savage of any nation, 
it may readily be supposed that the novelty of their 
C 3 



22 

appearance, so difTerent from any people that I 
had hitherto seen, excited in me strong feelings of 
surprize and curiosity. I was, however, particu- 
larly struck with the looks of their king, who was 
a man of a dignified aspect, about six feet in height 
and extremely strait and well proportioned; his 
features were in general good and his face was 
rendered remarkable by a large Roman nose, a 
very uncommon form of feature among these peo- 
ple; his complexion was of a dark copper hue, 
though his face, legs, and arms were, on this occa- 
sion, so covered with red paint, that their natural 
colour could scarcely be perceived, his eye-brows 
were painted black in two broad stripes like a 
new^ moon, and his long black hair, which shone 
with oil, was fastened in a bunch on the top of 
his head and strewed or powdered all over with 
white down, which gave him a most curious and 
extraordinary appearance. He was dressed in a 
large mantle or cloak of the black sea otter skin, 
which reached to his knees, and was fastened 
around his middle by a broad belt of the cloth of 
the country, wrought, or painted with figures of 
several colours ; this dress was by no means un- 
becoming, but on the contrary had an air of savage 
magnificence. His men were habited in mantles 
of the same cloth, which is made from the bark 
of a tree^ and has some resemblance to straw mat- 
ting, these are nearly square afid have two holes 
in the upper part large enough to adroit the arms-^ 



23 

they reach as low as the knees and are fastened 
round their bodies with a belt about four inches 
broad of the same cloth. 

From his having frequently visited the English 

and American ships that traded to the coasts 

Maquina had learned the signification of a num- ' 

ber of English words, and in general could make 

himself pretty well understood by us in our own 

language. He was always the first to go on 

board such ships as came to Nootka, which he was 

much pleased in visiting, even when he had no 

trade to offer, as he always received some small 

present, and was in general extremely well treated 

by the commanders. He remained on board of 

us for some time, during which the captain took 

him into the cabin and treated him with a glass 

of rum ; these people being very fond of distilled 

spirits, and some biscuit and molasses which 

they prefer to any kind of food that we caa 

offer thenL 

As there are seldom many furs to be purchased 
at this place and it was not fully the season, Capt* 
Salter had put in here not so much with an expec- 
tation of trading as to procure an ample stock 
of wood and water for the supply of the ship on 
the coast, thinkiog it more prudent to take it oa 
board at Nootka, from the generally friendly 
disposition of the people, thaa to endanger the 



u 

safety of his men in sending them on shorie for 
that purpose among (he more ferocious natives of 
the north. With this view, we immediately set 
about getting our water casks in readiness, and 
the next and two succeeding days, part of the crew 
were sent oo shore to cut pine timber, and assist the 
carpenter in making it into yards and spars for the 
ship, while those on board were employed in re- 
fitting the rigging, repairing the sails, &c. when we 
proceeded to take in our wood and water as expe- 
ditiously as possible, during which time I kept my- 
self busily employed in repairing the muskets, 
making knives, tomaxes, &c. and doing such iron 
work as was wanted for the ship. 

Meantime more or less of the natives came ojj 
board of us daily, bringing with them fresh salmon 
with which they supplied us in great plenty, re- 
ceiving in return some trifling articles. Captain 
Salter was always very particular before admitting 
these people on board to see that they had no arms 
about them, by obliging them indiscriminately to 
throw off their garments, so that he felt perfectly 
gecnre from any attack, 

Ob the 15th the king came on board with seve- 
ral of his chiefs ; he was dressed as before in his 
magnificent otter skin robe, having his face highly 
painted, and his hair tossed off with the white down 
which looked like snow ; his chiefs were dressed in 



2& 

mantles of the coantry cloth of its natcural colour, 
which is a pale yellow ; these were ornamented 
with a broad border, painted or wroaght ia figures 
of several colours, representing naen*s heads, va- 
rious animals, &c. and secured around them by a 
belt like that of the king from which it was distin- 
guished only by being narrower : the dress of the 
common people is of the same fashion, and differs 
from that of the chiefs in being of a coarser tex- 
ture, and painted red, of one uniform colour. 

Caj^tain Salter invited Maquina and his chiefs 
to dine with him, and it was curious to see how 
these people (when they eat) seat themselves (in 
their country fashion, upon our chairs) with their 
feet under them crossed like Turks. They cannot 
endure the taste of salt, and the only thing they 
would eat with us was the ship bread which they 
were very fond of, especially when dipped ia 
molasses, they had also a ^reat liking for tea and 
co£fee, when well sweetened. As iron weapons 
and tools of almost every kind are in much request 
among them, whenever thsy came on board they 
were always very attentive to me, crowding around 
me at the forge, as if to see in what manner I did 
my work, and in this way became quite familiar, 
a circumstance, as will be seen in the end, of great 
importance to me. The salmon . which they 
lirought us furnished a most deliciooi treat to. 



26 

Bien who for a ]ong time had lived wholly on salt 
provisions excepting such few sea fish as we had 
the good fortune occasionally to take. We in- 
deed feasted most luxuriously, and flattered our- 
selves that we should not want while on the coast 
for plenty of tVesh provisions, little imagining the 
fate that awaited us, and that this dainty food was 
to prove the unfortunate lure to our destruction I 

On the ]9th, the king came again on board, and 
was invited by the Captain to dine with him. He 
had much conversation with Captain Salter, and in- 
formed him that there were plenty of wild ducks 
and geese near Friendly Cove, on which the Cap- 
tain made him a present of a double-barrelled fowl- 
ing piece, with which he appeared to be greatly 
ple&sed, and soon after went on shore. 

On the 20th we were nearly ready for our depar- 
ture, having taken in what wood and water we 
were in want of. 

The next day Maqaina came on board with nine 
pair of wild ducks, as a present, at the same time 
be bronght with him the gun, one of the locks of 
which he had broken, telling the Captain that it 
wsispeshak, that is bad. Captain Salter was very 
much offended at this observation, and considering 
it as a mark of contempt for his present, he called 



27 

the king a liar, adding other opprobrious term*, 
and taking the gun from him, tossed it indignantly 
into the cabin, and calling me to him, said, * John, 
this fellow has broken this beautiful fowling piece, 
see if you can mend it :' On examining it I told 
him that it could be done. As I have already 
observed, Maquina knew a number of English 
words, and unfortunately understood but too well 
the meaning of the reproachful terms that the Cap- 
tain addressed to him. He said not a word in 
reply, but his countenance sufficiently expressed 
the rage he felt, though he exerted himself to sup- 
press it, and I observed hira while the Captaia 
was speaking, repeatedly put his hand to his throat, 
and rub it upon his bosom, which he ^afterwards 
told me was to keep down his heart, which was 
rising into his throat and choaking him. He sooa 
after went on shore with his men, evideatly much 
discomposed. 

On the morning of the 22d, the natives came off 
to us as usual with salmon, and remained on board ; 
when about noon xMaquina came along side, with 
a considerable number of his chiefs and tiien in tliejr 
canoes, who after going through the customary 
examination, were admitted into the sh?p. He 
had a whistle in his hand, and over his face a 
very ugly mask of wood, represeai*rig the head of 
some wild beast, appeared to be remarkably good 
humoured and gay, and whilst his people sung 



28 

and capered about the deck, entertaioiDg us with 
a variety of antic trick and gestures, he blew his 
whistle to a kind of tune which seemed to regu- 
late their motions. As Captain Sailer was walking 
on the quarter deck, amusing himself with their 
dancing, the king came up to him, and inquired 
when he intended to go to sea? He answered to- 
morrow. Maquina then said, * you love salmon — 
much in Friendly Cove, why not go then and 
catch some?' The Captain thought that it would 
be very desirable to have a good supply of these 
fish for the voyage, and on consulting with Mr. 
Delouisa, it was agreed to send part of the crew 
on shore after dinner with the seine, in order to pro- 
cure a quantity. Macquina and his chiefs staid 
and dined on board, and after dinner the chief mate 
went oflf with nine" men in the jolly-boat and yawl, 
to fish at Friendly Cove, having set the steward 
on shore at our watering place, to wash the Cap- 
tain's clothes. 

Shortly after the departure of the boats, I went 
down to my vice bench in the steerage, where I 
was employed in cleaning muskets. I had not 
been there more than an hour, when I heard the 
men hoisting in the long boat, which, in a few 
minutes after, was succeeded by a great bustle 
and confusion on deck T immediately ran up 
the steerage stairs, but scarcely was my head 
above deck, when I was caught by the hair by 



29 

#ne of the savages, and lifted from my feet; for- 
fuaately for me, ray hair being short, and the rib- 
bon with which it was iied slipping, I fail from 
his hold into the steerage. As 1 was falling, he 
struck at me with an axe, which cwt a deep gash in 
my forehead, and penetrated the skull, but in conse- 
quence of his losing his hold, 1 luickily escaped 
the full force of the blow; which, otherwise, would 
have cleft my head in two. I fell, stunned 
aod senseless, upon the floor — how long I conti- 
nued in this situation I know not, but on recover- 
ing my senses, the first thing that I did, was to 
try to get up , but so weak was i, from the loss 
of blood, that I fainted and fell. I was, however, 
soon recalled to my recollection by three loud 
sliouts or yells from the savages, which convinced 
me that they had got posession of the ship. It is 
impossible for me to describe my feelings at this 
terrific sound. Some faint idea may be formed 
of them by those who have known what it is to 
half waken from a hideous dream and still think it 
real. Never, no, never shall I lose from ray mind 
the impression of that dreadful moment. I ex- 
pected every instant to share the wretched fate of 
my unforluBate companions*, and when 1 heard the 
song of triumph, by which these infernal yells was 
succeeded, my blood ran cold in my veins. 

Having at length sulSciently recovered my senses 
to look around me, ait»ir wiping the blood from my 
D 



30 

eye»^, I saw that the hatch of the steerage was shut. 
This was done as I afterwards discovered, by order 
of Maquina, who on seeing the savage strike at 
me with the axe, told him not to hurt me, for that I 
was the armourer, and would be useful to them in 
repairing their arras : while at the same time to 
prevent any of his men from injuring me, he had 
the hatch closed. But to me this circumstance wor« 
a very different appearance, for I thought that 
these barbarians had only prolonged my life in order 
to deprive me of it by the most cruel tortures. 

I remained in this horrid state of suspense for a 
Tery long time, when at length the hatch was open- 
ed, and Maquina, calling me by name, ordered 
me to come up. I groped my way up as well 
as I was able being almost blinded with the blood 
that flowed from my wound, and so 'veak as 
with difficulty to walk. The king, on perceiving 
my situation, ordered one of his men to bring 
a pot of water to wash the blood from my face, 
which having done, I was able to see distinctly with 
one of my eyes, but the other was so swpllen from 
my wound, that it was closed. But what a terific 
spectacle met ray eyes : six naked savages, stand- 
ing in a circle around me, covered with the blood of 
my murdered comrades, with their daggers uplifted 
in their hands, prepared to strike. I now thought 
my last moment had come, and recommended my 
soul to my Maker. 



31 

The king who. as I have already observed, knew 
cDough of English to make himself understood, ea 
tered the circle, and placing himfelf before me, ad- 
dressed me nearly in the following words — ^* John 
— I speak — you no say no — You say no- — daggers 
come V He then asked me if I would be his slave 
during my life — If I would fight for him in his 
battles — If I would repair his muskets and make 
daggers and knives for him — with several otler 
questions, to ail of which I was careful to answer, 
yes. He then told me that he would spare my life, 
and ordered me to kiss his hands alid feet to show 
my submission to him, which 1 did.-— In the mean 
time his people were very clamorous to have me put 
to death, so that there should be none of us left to 
tell our story to our countrymen, and prevent them 
from coming to trade w ith them ; but the king, in 
the most determined manner, opposed their w ishes, 
and to his favour am I wholly indebted for my 
being yet among the living. 

As I was busy at work at the time of the at- 
tack, I was without my coat, and what with the 
coldness of the weather, my feebleness from loss 
of blood, the pain of ray wound an4 the extreme 
agitation and terror that I still felt, I shooklike a 
leaf, which the king observing, went into the ca- 
bin, and .bringing up a great coat that belonged 
to the captain, threw it over my shoulders, telling 
me to drink some rum from a bottle v^hich he 
D 3 



82 

handed me, at the same time giving me to under- 
stand that it would be good for me, and keep me 
from trembling as I did. I took a draught of it, 
Rl'ter which, taking me by the hand, he led me 
to the quarter deck, where the most horrid sight 
presented itself that ever my eyes witnesed — the 
heads of our unfortunate captain and his crew, 
to the number of twenty-five, were all arranged 
in a line, and Maquina ordering one of his people 
to bring a head, asked me whose it was : I an- 
swered, the captain's; in like manner the others 
-were shewed me, and I told him the names, ex- 
cepting a few that were so horribly mangled that 
I was not able to recognize them. 

I now discovered that all our unfortunate crew 
had been massacred, and learned, that after getting 
possession of the ship, the savages had broke open 
the arm chest and magazine, and supplying them- 
selves with ammunition and arms, sent a party on 
shore to attack our men, who had gone thither to 
fish, and being joined by numbers from the village, 
without difficulty overpowered and murdered them, 
find cutting off their heads, brought them on board, 
after throwing their bodies into the sea : On look- 
ing upon the deck, I saw it entirely covered with 
the blood of my poor comrades, whose throats 
had been cut with their own jack-knives, the sa- 
vages having seized the opportunity while they 
\rere busy in hoisting in the boat, to grapple with 



3^ 

them, and overpower them by their numbers ; in 
the scuflSe the captain was thrown overboard, 
and dispatched by those in the canoes, who imme- 
diately cut off his head : What I felt on this 
occasion, may be more readily conceived than 
expressed. 

After I had answered his questions, Maquina 
took my silk handkerchief from my neck, and 
bound it around ray head, placing over the wound 
a leaf of tobacco, of which we had a quantity on 
board. This was done at my desire, as I had 
often found, from personal experience, the benefit 
of this application to cuts. 

Maquina then ordered me to get the ship under 
weigh for Friendly Cove. This I did by cutting 
the cables, and^ sending some of the natives aloft 
1o loose the sails, which they performed in a very 
bungling manner. But they succeeded so far la 
loosing the jib and top-sails, that, with the advan- 
tage of fair wind, I succeeded in getting the ship 
into the Cove, where, by'order of the king, I ran 
her ashore on a sandy beach, at eight o'^clock at 
night. 

We were received by the inhabitants of the 

village, men, women, and children, with loud 

shouts of joy, and a most horrible drumming with 

sticks upon thej roofs and sides of their houses, 

D 3 



34 

in which they had also stuck a great number of 
lighted pine torches, to welcome their king's re- 
turn, and congratulate him on the success of his 
enterprize. 

Maquina then took me on shore to his house, 
which was very large, and filled with people — 
where I was received with much kindness by the 
women, particularly those belonging to the king, 
who had no less than nine wives, all of whom 
came around me, expressing much sympathy for 
my misfortune, gently stroking and patting ifiy 
bead in an encouraging and soothing manner, 
with words expressive of condolence. How sweet 
is compassion even from savages I Those who 
have been in a similar situation, can alone truly 
appreciate its value. 

In the mean time, all the warriors of the tribe, 
to the number of five hundred, had assembled at 
the king's house, to rejoice for their success. They 
exulted greatly in having taken our ship, and each 
one boasted of his own particular exploits in killing 
our men, but they were in general much dissa- 
tisfied with my having been suffered to live, and 
were very urgent with Maquina to deliver me to 
them, to be put to death, which he obstinately 
refused to do, telling them that he had promised 
me my life, and woald not break his word ; and 



35 

that besides, I knew how to repair and to make 
arms, and siiould be of great use to them. 

The king then seated me by him, and ordered 
his women to bring him something to eat, wheo 
they set before him some dried clams and train 
oil, of which he ate very heartily, and encouraged 
me to follow his example, telling me to eat much, 
and take a great deal of oil, which would make 
me strong and fat ; notwithstanding his praise 
of this new kind of food, I felt no disposition 
to indulge in it, both the smell and taste being 
loathsome to me; and had it been otherwise, such 
was the pain I endured, the agitation of my mind, 
and the gloomines of my reflections, that I should 
have felt very little inclination for eating. 

Not satisfied ^^ith his first refusal to deliver me 
up to them, the people again became clamorous 
that Maquina should consent to my being killed, 
saying that not one of us ought to be left alive 
to give information to others of our countrymen, 
and prevent them from coming to trade, or induce 
them to revenge the destruction of our ship, and 
they at length became so boisterous, that he caught 
up a large club in a passion, and drove them all 
out of the house. During this scene, a son of the 
king, about eleven years old, attracted no doubt by 
the singularity of my appearance, came up to me ; 
I caressed himj he returned my attentions with 
''1 



36 

much apparent pleasure, and considering this as 
a fortunate opportunity to gain the good will of the 
father, I took the child on my knee, and cutting 
the metal buttons from off the coat I had on, I tied 
them around his neck. At this he was highly 
delighted, and became so much attached to me^ 
that he would not quit me. 

The king appeared much pleased with my atten- 
tion to his son, and telling me that it was time to 
go to sleep directed me to lie with his son next to 
him, as he was afraid lest some of his people would 
come while he was asleep and kill me with their 
daggers. I lay down as he ordered me, but neither 
the state of my mind nor the pain I felt would 
allow roe to sleep. 

About midnight I was greatly alarmed by the 
approach of one of the natives, who came to give 
information to the king that there was one of the 
white men alive, who had knocked him down 
as he went on board the ship at night. This Ma- 
quina communicated to me, giving me to under- 
gtand thai as soon as the sun rose he should kill him. 
I endeavoured to persuade him' to spare his life, 
but he bade me be silent and go to sleep. I said 
nothing more but lay revolving in ray mind what 
method I could devise to save the life of this man. 
What a consolation thought I, what a happiness 
would it prove to me in my forlorn state among 



S7 

these heathens, to have a Christian and one of my 
own countrymen for a companion, and how greatly 
would it alleviate and lighten the burden of my 
slavery. 

As I was thinking of some plan for his preserva- 
tion, it all at once came into my mind that this 
man was probably th« sail maker of the ship, named 
Thompson, as I had not seen his head among those 
on deck and knew that he was below at work upon 
sails not long before the attack. The more t- 
thought of it the more probable it appeared to me, 
and as Thompson was a man nearly forty years of 
age, and had an old look, I conceived it would be 
easy to make him pass for my father, and by this 
means prevail on Maquiua to spare his life. To- 
wards morning I fell into a doze, but was awakened 
with the first beams of the sun by the king, who 
told me he was going to kill the man who was ob 
board the ship, and ordered me to accompany him. 
I rose and followed him, leading with me the young 
prince, his bod. 

On coming to the beach I found all the men of 
the tribe assembled. The king addressed them, 
saying that one of the white men had been found 
alive on board the ship, and requested their opinion 
as to saving his life or putting him to death. They 
were unanimously for the latter : This deter- 
ninatiou he made known to me. Having arranged 



''W^^: 



38 

My plan, » I asked him, pointing to the boy, whons 
I still held by the hand, if he loved his son, he 
answered that he did ; I then asked the child if 
he loved his father, and on his replying in the 
affirmative, I said, and " I also love mine. I 
then threw myself on my knees at Maquina's feet, 
and implored him, with tears in my eyes, to spare 
my father's life, if the man on board should prove 
to be him, telling him that if he killed my father, 
it was my wish that he should kill me too, and 
that if he did not, I would kill myself, — and that 
he would thus lose my services^ whereas, by 
sparing my father's life, he would preserve mine, 
which would be of great advantage to him, by my 
repairing and making arms for him. 

Maquina, appeared moved by my entreaties, and 
promised not to put the man to death if he should 
be my father. He then explained to his peopl* 
what I had said, and ordered me to go on board, 
and tell the man to come on shore. To my un- 
speakable joy, on going into the hold, I found 
that my conjecture was true. Thomson was there, 
he had escaped without any injury, excepting a 
slight wound in the nose, given him by one of the 
savages with a knife, as he attempted to come on 
deck, during the scu£Be. Finding the savages in 
possession of the ship, as he afterwards informed 
me, he secreted himself in the hold, hoping for 
some chance to make his escape — but that the In- 



39 

^ian who came on board iu tiie night, approaching 
the place where he was, he supposed himself dis- 
covered, and being determined to sell his life a« 
Nearly as possible, as soon as he came within h^s 
reach, he knocked him down, but the Indian imme- 
diately springing up ran off at full speed. 

I informed him, in a few words, that all our men 
had been killed ; that the king had preserved my 
life, and had consented to spare his on the sup- 
position that he was my father, an opinion which he 
must be careful not to undeceive them in, as it 
was his only safety. After giving him his cue, I 
went on shore with him, and presented him to 
Maquina, who immediately knew him to be the 
sailmaker, and was much pleased, observing that 
he could make sails for his canoe. He then took 
us to his house, and ordered something for us t© 
eat. 

On the 24th and 25th, the natives were busily 
employed'iR taking the cargo out of the ship, strip- 
ping her of her sails and rigging, cutting away the 
spars and masts, and in short, rendering her as com- 
plete a wreck as possible, them uskets, ammunition, 

cloth, and all tlie priacipal articles taken from her, 

being deposited in the king's house. 

While they were thus occupied, each one taking 
what he liked, my companion and myself being 



40 

obliged to aid them, I thought it best to secure 
the accounts and papers of the ship, in hopes that 
on some future day, I might have it in my power 
to restore them to the owners. With this view I 
took possession of the captain's writing desk, which 
contained the most of them, together with some 
paper and implements for writing. I had also the 
good fortune to find a blank account book, in which 
I resolved, should it be permitted me, to write an 
account of our capture, and the most remarkable 
occurrences that I should meet with during my stay 
among tliese people, fondly indulging the hope 
that it would not be long before some vessel would 
arrive to release us. 1 likewise found in the cabin, 
a small volume of sermons, a bible, and a common- 
prayer book of the Church of England, which fur- 
nished me and my comrade great consolation in ttie 
midst of our mournful servitude, and enabled me, 
under the favour of Divine Providence, to sup- 
port, with firmness, the miseries of a life which 
1 might otherwise have found beyond my strength 
to endure. 

As these people set no value upon things of this 
kind, I found no difficulty in appropriating them to 
myself, by putting them in my chest, which though 
it had been broken open and rifled by the savages, 
as 1 still had the key, I without much ditficulty 
secured. In this I also put some ^mall tools be- 
longing to the bhip, with several other articles, 



41 

particularly a journal kept by the second mate, Mr. 
lugiaham, and a collection of drawings and views 
of places taken by him, which 1 had the good for- 
tune to preserve, and on my arrival at Boston, I 
gave them to a connection of his, the honourable 
Judge Dawes, who sent them to his family fn New- 
York. 

On the 26th, two ships were seen standing in for 
Friendly Cove. At their first appearance the in- 
habitants were thrown into great confusion, but 
soon collecting a number of muskets and blunder- 
busses, ran to the shore, from whence they kept 
up so brisk a fire at theia, that they were evidently 
afraid to approach nearer, and after firing a Te^ 
rounds of grape shot which did no harm to any one, 
they wore ship and stood out to sea. These ships, 
as I afterwards learned, were the Mary and Juno 
of Boston. 

They were scarcely out of sight when Maquina 
expressed much regret that he had permitted his 
people to fire at them, being apprehensive that 
they v^ould give information to others in what 
manner they htid been received, and prevent them 
from coming to trade with him. 

A few days after hearing of the capture of the 
sMp, there arrived at Nootka a great number of 
canoes filled with savages from no less than twenty 
E 



42 

tribes to the North and South. Among those from 
the North were the Ai-tiz-zarts, Schoo.mad-it3, 
Neu-wit-ties, Savin-nars, Ah-owz-arts, Mo-watch- 
its, Suth-setts, Neu-chad-lits, Mich-la-its and Cay- 
u-quets; the most of whom were considered as tri- 
butary to Nootka. From tlie South, the Aytch-arts 
and Esqui-ates also tributary, with the Kla-oo- 
quates, and the Wickanuish, a large and powerful 
tribe about two hundred miles dwtant. These last 
were better clad than most of the others, and their 
canoes wrought with much greater skill; they are 
furnished with sails as well as-paddles, and with the 
advantage of a fair breeze^ are usually bat twenty, 
four hours od their passage. 

Maquina, who was very proud of his Dew ac- 
quisition, was desirous of welcoming these visitors 
in the European manner. He accordingly ordered 
his men, as the canoes approached, to assemble on 
the beach with loaded muskets and blunderbusses, 
placing Thompson at the cannon which had been 
brought from the ship and laid upon two long sticks 
of timber in front of the village, then taking a 
speaking trumpet in his hand, he ascended with 
me, the roof of his house, and began dramming or 
beating upon the boards with a stick most vio- 
lently. 

Nothing could be more ludicrous than the ap- 
pearance of this motly groupe of savages collected 



43 

on the shore,, dressed as they were, with their ilU 
gotten finery, in the most fantastic noanner, some 
in women's smocks, taken from our cargo, others in 
Kotsacks^ (or cloaks) of blue, red or yellow broad- 
cloth, with stockings drawn over their heads, ani! 
their necks hung round with numbers of powder- 
horns, shot-bags, and cartouch-boxes, some of them 
having no less thaa ten muskets a f iece on their 
shoulders, and five or six dagger* in their girdles. 
Diverting indeed was it to see them all squatted 
upon the beach, holding their muskets perpendicu- 
larly, with the butt pressed upon the sand, instead 
of against their shoulders, and in this position 
awaiting the order to fire. Mctqtjkia, at last, cal- 
led te them with his trumpet. to fire, which they did 
ia the most awkward and timid manner, with their 
muskets hard pressed upon the ground aa above- 
mentioned. At the same moment the cannon was 
fired by Thompson, immediately on which ihey 
threw ihemselves back and began to roll and tumble 
over the sand as if they had been shot, when sud- 
denly springing up, they began a song of triumph 
and running backward and for\vard upon the shore, 
with the wildest gesticulations, boasted of their 
exploit*, and exhibited as trophies, what they had 
taken from us. Notwithstanding the unpleasant- 
ness of my situation, and the feelings that this 
display ol our spoils excited, I could not avoid 
laughing at the strange appearance of these la- 



44 

rages, their awkward movements, and the sin 
gular cootrast of their dregs and arms. 

When the ceremony was concluded, Maqufba 
invited the strangers to a feast at his house, cod- 
sisting of whale blubber, smoked herring spawn, 
and dried fish and train oil, of which they eat most 
plentifully. The feast being over, the trays, out 
of which they eat, and other things were imme- 
diately removed to make room for the dance, which 
was to close the entertainment. This was per- 
formed by Maquina's son, the young prince Sat- 
sat-sok-sis, whom I have already spoken of, ia 
the following manner :— Three of the principal 
chiefs, drest in their otter-skin mantlei, which 
they wear only on extraordinary occasions and at 
festivals, having their heads covered over with 
white down, and their faces highly painted, came 
forward into the middle of the room, each furnished 
with a bag filled with white down, which they 
scattered around in such a manner as to represent 
a fall of snow. These were followed by the young 
prince, who was dressed in a long piece of yellow 
cloth, wrapped loosely around him, and decorated 
with small bells, with a cap on his hiead, to whjch 
was fastened a curious mask in imitation of a 
wolf's head, while the rear was brought up by 
the king himself, in his robe of sea-otter skin, with 
« small whistle in his mouth and a rattle in his 
band, with which he kept time to a sort of tune 



45 

on his whistle. After passing very rapidJy in this 
order around the house, each of them seateiJ him- 
self, except the prince, who immediately began 
his dance, which principally consisted in springing 
up into the air in a squat posture, and constantly 
turning around on his heels with great swiftness, in 
a very narrow circle. 

This dance, with, a few intervals of rest, was 
continued for about two hours, during which the 
chiefs kept up a constant drumming with sticks 
of about a foot in length on a long hollow plank, 
Tvhich was, though a very noisy, a most doleful 
kind of music. This they accompanied with songs, 
the king himself acting as chorister, while the 
women applauded eRch feat of activity in the 
dancer, by repeating the words, IVocash! JVocash 
Ti/ee ! that is good ! very good prince. 

As soon as the dance was finished, Maquina be- 
gan to give presents to the strangers, in the name 
of his son Sat-sat-sok-ais. These were pieces of 
European cloth, generally of a fathom in length, 
muskets, powder, shot, 6cc. Whenever he gave 
them any thing, they had a peculiar manner of 
snatching it from him with a very stern and surly 
look, repeating ^ each time the words, fVocash 
Tyee. This I understood to be their custom, and 
was considered as a compliment, w hich if onnitted, 
would be supposed as a mark of disregard for the 
E 3 



46 

present. On ihis occasion, Maquina gave away 
no less than one hundred muskets, the same num- 
ber of looking-glasses, four hundred yards of cloth, 
and twenty casks of powder, beside other things. 

After receiving these presents, the strangers re- 
tired on board their canoes, for so numerous were 
they, that Maquina would not suffer any but the 
chiefs to sleep in the houses ; and in order to pre- 
vent the property from being pillaged by them, he 
ordered Thompson «nd myself to keep guard, dur- 
ing the night, armed with cutlasses and pistols. 

Tn this manner tribes of savages from various 
parts of the coast, continued coming for several 
days, bringing with them, blubber, oil, herring- 
spawn, dried fish and clams, for which they re- 
ceived, in return, presents of cloth, &c, after 
which they in general immediately returned home. 
I observed that very few*, if any of them, except 
the chiefs, had arms, which I afterwards learned 
is the custom with these people, whenever they 
come upon a friendlp'^isit or to trade, in order 
to shew, on theijM^^oacb, that their intentions 
are pacific. '*^^:-. 

Early on the morning of the 19th, the ship was 
discovered to be on fire. This was owing to one 
of the savages having gone on board with a fire- 
brand at night ^ the purpose of plunder, som^ 



47 

sparks from which fell into the hold, and comiuiz- 
cicating with some combustibles, soon enveloped 
the whole in flames. The natives regretted the 
loss of the ship the more, as a great part of her 
cargo still remained on board. To my compa- 
nioQ and myself, it was a most melancholy sight, 
for with her disappeared from our eyes every trace 
of a civilized country •, but the disappointment we 
experienced, was still more severely felt, for we 
had calculated on having the provision to oar- 
selves, which would have furnished us with a stock 
for years, as whatever is cured with salt, together 
with most ©f our other articles of food, are never 
eaten by these people* I had luckily saved all 
my tools, excepting the anvil and the bellows, 
which was attached to the forge, and from their 
weight had not been brought on shore. We had 
also the good fortune, in looking over what had 
been taken from the ship, to discover a box of 
chocolate, and a case of port wine, which as tlio 
Indiana were not fond of it, proved a great com- 
fort to OS for some time, and from one of the 
natives I obtained a nautical almanack, which 
had belonged io the Captaiay.and vvhich was of 
great use to me in determining the time. 

About two days after, on exanilning their booty^ 
the savages found a tierce of rum,, with which they 
were highly delighted, as they have become very 
fond of spirituous liquors since their iatefcotirst' 



48 

with the whites. This was towards evening, and 
Maquina having assembled ail the men at his 
house, gave a feast, at which they drank sO freely 
of the rum, that in a short time, they became so 
extremely wild and frantic, that Thompson and 
myself, apprehensive for our safety, thought it 
prudent to retire frivately into the woods, where 
we continued till past midnight. 

On our return we found the women gone, who 
are always very temperate, drinking nothing but 
water, having quitted the house and gone to the 
other huts to sleep, so terrified ^vere they at the 
conduct of the men, who lay all stretched out on 
the floor, in a state of complete intoxication. How 
easy in this situation would it have been for us to 
have dispatched or made ourselves masters of our 
enemies, had there been any ship near to which we 
eould have escaped, but as we were situated, the 
attempt would have been madness. The wish of 
revenge was, however^ less strongly impressed 
on my mind, than what appeared to be 86 evident 
an interposition of divine Providence in our favour. 
How little can man penetrate its designs, and how 
frequently is that intended as a blessing, which 
he views as a curse. Ti}e burning of our ship, 
which we had lamented so much, as depriving us 
of so many comfoits, now appeared to us in a 
very different light, for had the savages got pos- 
session of the rum, of which there were nearly 



4D 

twenty puachtous 6a board, we must inevitably 
have fallen a sacrifice lo their fury in some of 
their moments of intoxicatiou. This cask fortu- 
nately, and a case of gi-i, was all the spirits they 
obtained from the ship. To prevent the recurrence 
of similar danger, I examined the cask, and finding 
still ^a considerable quantity remaining, I bored 
ft small hole to the bottom with a gimblet, which 
before morning to my great joy completely emp* 
tied it. 

By this time the wound in my head began to be 
much bettor, so ilmt I could enjoy some sleep 
which I had been almost deprived of by the pain, 
and though I was still feeble from the loss of blood 
and my safferings, I found myself sufficiently well 
to go to work at my trade, in making for the king 
and his wives bracelets and other small ornaments 
of copper or steel, and in repairing the arras, mak- 
ing use of a large square stone for the aavil, and 
heating my metal in a common wood fire. This 
was very gratifying io Maquina, and his women 
particularly, and secured me their good wiiL 

In the mean ti'rae great numbers from the other 
tribes kept continually flockipg. io Noolka, bring- 
ing with them in exchange for the ship's plunder 
such quantities of provision, that notwithstanding 
the little success that Maquina met with in whaling 
this season, apd their gluttonous waste, always 



50 

eating <o excess when they hare it, regardiesa of 
the morrow, seldom did the natives experience 
any want of food during the summer. As to 
myself and companion, wc fared as they did, never 
wanting for such provision as they had, though we 
were obliged to eat it cooked in their manner, and 
with train oil as a sauce, a circumstance not a 
little unpleasant, both from their uncleanly mode 
of cooking, and many of the articles of their food, 
which to an European are very disgusting; but, aa 
the saying is, hunger will break through stone 
walla, and we found, at times, in the blubber of 
sea animals, and the fie^h of tha dog-fish, loath- 
some as it general was, a very acceptable repast. 

But much oftener would poor Thompson, who 
was no favourite with them, have suffered from 
hunger, had it not been for my furnishing him 
with provision. This I was enabled to do from 
my work, Maquina allowing me the privilege, 
when cot employed for him, to work for myself in 
making bracelets and other ornairents of copper, 
fish-hooks, daggers, &c. either to sell to the tribes 
who visited us, or for our own chiefs, who on 
these occasions besides supplying me with as much 
as I wished to eat, and a sufficiency for Thomp- 
son, almost always made me a present of an Eu- 
ropean garment, taken from the ship, or some 
fathoms of cloth, which were made up by my com- 
rade, and enabled us to go coipfortably clad for 



3ome1iaie, or small buiuiles of penknives, rasors^ 
scissors, &c. for one of which we could almost 
always procure from the natives, two or three 
fresh salmon, cod, or halibut; or dried fish, clams 
and herring spawn from the stranger tribes; and 
had we only been permitted to cook them after our 
own way, as we had pots and other utensils 
belonging to the ship, we should not have had 
much cause of complaint in this respect, but so 
tenacious are these people of their cusioms, par- 
ticularly in the article of food and cooking, that the 
king always obliged me to give whatever provision 
I bought to the women to cook. And one day 
finding Thompson and myself on the shore, era- 
ployed in boiling down, sea-water into salt, on be- 
ing told what it was, he was very much dis- 
pleased, and taking the little we had procured, 
threw it into the sea. In one instance alone, as a 
particular favour, he allowed me to boil some 
salmon in ray own way, when I invited him 
and his queen to eat with me; they tasted it, but 
did not like it, and made their meal of some of it 
that I had cooked in their country fashion. 

In May, the weather became uncommonly mild 
and pleasant, and so forward was vegetation, that 
I picked plenty of strawberries by the middle of 
the mocth. Of this fruit there are great quantities 
on this coast, and I found them a most deliciouf 
treat* 



My health now had become almost re-estab- 
lished, my wound being so far healed, that it gave 
me no fartlier trouble. I had never failed to wash 
it regularly once a day in sea water, and to dress it 
with a fresh leaf of tobacco, which I obtained 
from the natives, who had taken it from the ship, 
but made no use of it. This was all the dressing [ 
gave it, except applying to it two or three times, 
a little loaf sugar, which Maquina gave me, in 
order to remove some proud flesb, which prevented 
it from closing. 

My cure would doubtless have been much sooner 
effected had I have been in a civilized country, 
where I could have had it dressed by a surgeon 
and properly attended to. But alas I I had uj 
good Samaritan, with oil and wine, to bind up my 
wounds, and fortunate might I even esteem myself 
that I was permitted to dress it myself, for the 
utmost that I could expect from the natives, was 
compassion for my misfortuoes, which I indeed 
experienced from the women, particularly the 
queen, or favourite wife of Maquina, the mother of 
Sat sat-soli-sis, who used frequently to point to my 
head, and manifest much kindness and solicitude for 
me. I must do Maquina the justice to acknowledge, 
that he always appeared desirous of sparing me 
any labour which he believed might be hurtful to 
me, frequently enquiring in an affectionate man- 
Bcr, if my head pained me. As for the others. 



6S 

some of the chiefs excepted, they caved little what 
became of me, and probably would have beea gra- 
tified with my death. 

My health being at length re-established and 
my wound healed, Thompson became very impor- 
tunate for me to begin my journal, and as I had no 
ink, proposed to cut his finger to supply me with 
blood for the purpose whenever I should want it. 
On the first of June, I accordingly commenced a 
regular diary, but had no occasion to make use of 
the expedient suggested by my comrade, having 
found a much better substitute in the expressed 
juice of a certain plant, which furnished me with a 
bright green colour, and after making a number of 
trials, I at length succeeded in obtaining a very tole- 
rable ink, by boiling the juice of the black-berry 
with a mixture of finely powdered charcoal and 
filtering^,it through a cloth. This I afterwards preser- 
ved in bottles, and found it answer very well, so 
true is it that "necessity is the mother of invention." 
As for quills I found no diflBculty in procuring them, 
whenever I wanted, from the crows and ravens 
with which the beach was almost always covered, 
attracted by the offal of whales, seals, &c. and 
which were so tame that I could easily kill them 
with stones, while a large clam shell furnished me 
with an ink stand. 

The extreme solicitude of Thompson that«I 
F 



6i 

should begin my journal, might be'considered as 
singular in a man, who neither knew how to read 
or write, a circumstance by the way, very uncom- 
mon in an America, were we less acquainted with 
the force of habit, he baving been for many years 
at sea, and accustomed to consider the keeping of 
a journal as a thing indispensable. This man was 
born in Phila|lelphia, and at eight years old ran 
away from his friends and entered as a cabin boy on 
board a ship bound to London, on his arrivail there 
finding himself in distress, he engaged as an appren- 
tice to the captain of a Collier, from whence he was 
impressed on board an English man of war, and 
continued in the British naval service about twenty- 
seven years, during which he, was present at the 
engagement under Lord Howe with the French fleet 
in June 1794, and when peace was made between 
England and France was discharged. He was a 
very strong and powerful man, an expert boxer, 
and perfectly fearleis ; indeed so little was his 
dread of danger, that when irritated he was wholly 
regardless of his life. Of this the following wili 
furnish a sufficient proof : 

One evening about the middle of April, as I was 
at the house of one of the chiefs, where I had been 
employed on some work for him, word was brought 
me that Maquina was going to kill Thompson. I 
immediately hurried home, where I found the king 
in the act of presenting a loaded musket at Thomp- 



1 



66 

gon» who was standing before him with his breast 
bared and calling on him to fire. I instantly stepped 
up to Maquina, who was foaming with rage," and 
addressing him in soothing words, begged him for 
my sake not to kill my father, and at length suc- 
eeeded in taking the musket from him and persua- 
ding him to sit dawn. 

On enquiring into the cause of his auger, 1 learn* 
ed that while Thompson was lighting the lamps in 
the king's room, Maquina having subslituted our's 
for their pine torches, some of the boys began to 
teaze him, running around him and pulling him by 
the trowsers, among the most forward of whom was 
the young prince. This caused Thompson to spill 
the oil, which threw him into such a passion, that 
without oaring what he did, he struck the priooc 6'> 
violent a blow in his face with his fist as to knock 
him down. The sensation excited among the sava- 
ges by an act, which was considered as the highest 
indignity, and a profanation of the sacred person of 
majesty, may be easily conceived. The king was 
immediately acquainted with it, who, on coming in 
and seeing his son's face covered with blood, seized 
a musket and began to load it, determined to take 
instant revenge on the audacious offender, and had 
I arrived a few moments later than 1 did, my 
companion would certainly have paid with his 
life for his ra^h and violent conduct. I found 
the utmost difficulty in pacifying Maquina, who 
F 2 



66 

for a long time after could not forgive ThompsoG^ 
but would repeatedly say, " John, i/ou die — 
Thompson kill,*' 

But to appease the king was not all that wa8 
necessary. In consequence of the insult offered to 
their prince, the whole tribe held a council, in 
which it was unanimously resolved that Thompson 
should be put to death in the most cruel manner. 
I however interceded so strenuously with Maquina, 
for his life, telling him that if my father was killed, 
I was determined not to survive him, that he refused 
to deliver him up to the vengeance of his people, 
saying, that for John's sake they must consent to 
let him live. The prince, who, after 1 had gu€-- 
ceeded in calming his father, gave me an account 
of what had happened, told me that it was wholly 
out of regard to me, as Thompson was my father, 
that his life had been spared, for that if any one of 
the tribe should dare to lift a hand against him in 
anger, he would most certainly be put to death. 

Yet even this narrow escape produced not much 
effect on Thompson, or induced him to restrain the 
violence of iiis temper. For not many weeks after, 
he was guilty of a similar indiscretion, in striking 
the eldest son of a chief, who was about eighteen 
years old, and according to their custom was consi- 
dered as a Tyee, or chief himself, in consequence 
of his having provoked him by calling him a white 



67 

slave. This afiFair caused great commotion in tho 
village, and the tribe was very clamorous for hij» 
death, but Maquina would not consent. I used 
frequently to remonstrate with him on the imprii 
dence of his conduct and beg him to govern his 
temper better, telling him that it was our duty since 
our lives were in the power of ihese savages, to d(t 
nothing to exasperate them. But all I could say oti 
this point availed littfe, for so bitter was the hatft 
he felt for them, which he was no way backward 
in manifesting both by his looks and actions, that 
he declared he never would submit to their insults, 
and that he had much rather be killed than be obli- 
ged to live among them, adding that he only wished 
he had a good vessel and some guns, and he would 
destroy the whole of the cursed race ; for to a brave 
sailor like him, who Lad fought ihe French and 
Spaniards with glory, it was a punishment worse 
than death to be a slave to such a poor, ignorant, 
despicable set of beings. 

As for myself I thought very differently. After 
returning thanks to that merciful Being who had in 
80 wonderful a manner softened the hearts of the 
savages in my favour, I had determined from the 
first of my capture to adopt a^ conciliating conduct 
towards them, and conform myself, as far as was 
in my power, to their customs aud mode of think- 
ing, trusting that the same divine goodness that 
Jbad rescued me from death, would not alwav^ 
F 3 



6& 

sufifer me to languish in captivity among these 
heathens. With this view, I sought to gain their 
good-will by always endeavouring to assume a 
cheerful countenance, appearing pleased with their 
sports and buffoon tricks, making little ornament» 
for the wives and children of their chiefs, by which 
means I became quite a favourite with them, and' 
fish-hooks, daggers, &c. for themselves. 

As a farther recommendation to their favour, 
and what might eventually prove of the utmost 
importance to us, I resolved to learn their lan- 
guage, which in the course of a few months resi* 
dence I so far succeeded in acquiring, as to be 
able in general to make myself well understood. 
I likewise tried to persuade Thompson to learn it, 
as what might prove necessary to him. But he 
refused, saying, . that he hated both them and 
their cursed lingo, and would have nothing to do 
with it. 

By pursuing this conciliatory plan, so far did I 
gain the good-will of these savages, particularly 
the chiefs, that I scarcely ever failed experiencing 
kind treatment from them, and was received with 
a smile of welcome at their houses, where I was 
always sure of having something given me to eat, 
whenever they had it, and many a good meal have 
J had from them, when they themselves were short 
of provisions and suffering for the want of them. 



59 

And it was a common practice with me, when we 
had nothing to eat at home, which happened not 
unfrequently during my stay among them, to go 
around the village, and on noticing a smoke from 
any of the houses, which denoted that they were 
caoking, enter in without ceremony, and ask them 
for something, which I was never refused. Few 
nations, indeed, are there so very rude and unfeel- 
ing, whom constant mild treatment and an atten- 
tion to please, will not mollify and obtain from 
some return of kind attention. This, the treatment 
I received from these people, may exemplify, for 
not numerous, even among those calling them* 
selves civilized, are there instances to be found of 
persons depriving themselves of food to give it to a 
stranger, whatever may be his merits. 

It may perhaps be as well in this place to give 
a description of Nootka; some accounts of the, 
tribes who were accustomed to visit us; and the 
manners and customs of the people, as far as I 
hitherto had an opportunity of observing them. 

The village of Nootka, is situated in between 
49 and 50 deg. N. lat. at the bottom of Friendly 
Cove, on the West or North-west side. It con- 
sists of about twenty houses or huts, on a small 
hill, which rises with a gentle ascent from the 
shore. Friendly Cove, which affords good and 
secure anchorage for ships close in with the shore? 



60 

i« a small harbour of not more thaa a quarter or 
half a mile in length, and about half a mile or 
three quarters broad, formed by the line of coast on 
the liast, and a long point or head land, which 
extends as much as three leagues into the sound, 
in nearly a. Westerly direction. This, as well as 
I can judge from what I have seen of it, is in 
general from one to two miles in breadth, and 
mostly a rocky and unproductive soil, with but 
few trees. The Eastern and Western shores of 
this harbour, are steep and in many parts rocky, 
the trees growing quite to the water''s edge, but the 
bottom to the North and North-west is a fine 
sandy beach of half a mile or more in extent. 

From the village to the North and North-east 
extends a plain, the soil of which is very excellent, 
and with proper cultivation may be made to pro- 
duce almost any of our European vegetables ; this 
is but little more than half a mile in breadth, and 
is terminated by the sea-coast, which in this place 
is lined with rocks and reefs, and cannot be ap" 
proached by ships. The coast in the neighbour- 
hood of Nootka is in general low, and but little 
broken into hills and vallies. The soil is good, 
well covered with fine forests of pine, spruce, beach 
and other trees, and abounds with streams of the 
finest water, the general appearance being the 
same for many miles aroaRd. 



61 

The village is situated on the ground occupied 
by the Spaniards, when they kept a garrison here ; 
the foundations of the church and the governor''s 
house are yet visible, and a few European plants 
are still to be found, which continue to be self- 
propagated, such as onions, peas, and turnips, but 
the two last are quite small, particularly the tur- 
nips, which afforded us nothing but the tops for eat- 
ing. Their former village stood on the same spot, 
but the Spaniards finding it a commodious situation, 
demolished the houses and forced the inhabitants to 
retire five or six miles into the country. With 
great sorrow, as Maquina told me, did they find 
themselve-j compelled to quit their ancient place of 
residence, htkC with eqrar jay did iiiey repossess 
themselves of it when the Spanish garrison was ex- 
pelled by the English, 

The houses as I have observed are above twenty 
in number, built nearly in a line. These are of 
different sizes according to the rank or quality of 
the Ti/ee, or chief, who lives in them, each hav- 
ing one, of which he is considered as the lord. 
They vary not much in width being usually from 
thirty-six to forty feet wide but are of very different 
lengths, that of the king which is much the longest 
beiug about one hundred and fifty feet, while the 
smallest which contain only two families do not ex- 
ceed forty feet in length, the house of the king is. 
also distinguished from the others by being higher. 



62 

Their method of building, is as follows : they 
erect Id the ground two very large posts at such a 
distance apart as is intended for the length of the 
house. On these, which are of equal height, and 
holiowed out at the upper end, they lay a large spar 
for the ridgepole of tlie building, orif the length of 
the house requires it, two or more, supporting their 
ends by similar upright posts ; these spars are some- 
times of an almost incredible size, having myself 
measured one in Maquina's house which I found to 
be one hundred feet long and eight feet four inches 
in circumfereace. M equal distances from these 
two posts, two others are placed on each side, to 
form the width of the building; these "^re rather 
siiC'tSKMS'i/ the ui^^-as^- &a ik in like 

manner spars, but of a smaller size, having the 
upper part hewed flat, with a narrow ridge on the 
outer side to support the ends of the planks. 

The roof is formed of pine planks with a broad 
feather edge, so as to lap well over each other, 
which are laid lengthwise from the ridge-pole in the 
centre, to the beams at the sides, after which the 
top is covered with planks of eight feet broad, 
which form a kind of coving projecting so far over 
the ends of the planks, that form the roof, as com- 
pletely to exclude the rain. On these they lay 
large stoned to prevent their being displaced by the 
wind. The ends of the planks are not secured to 
the beams on which they are laid by any fastenings 



63 

«o that in a high storm I have often known all the 
men obliged to turn out and go upon the roof to pre- 
vent them from being blown ofT, carrying large 
stoues and pieces of rock with them to secure the 
boards, always stripping themselves naked on these 
occasions whatever may be the severity of the 
weather, to prevent their garments from being wet 
and muddied, as these storms are almost always 
accompanied with heavy rains. The sides of their 
houses are much more open and exposed to the wea- 
ther, this proceeds from their not being so easily 
made close as the roof, being built with planks of 
about ten feet long and four or five wide, which 
they place between stancheons or small posts of the 
height of the roof, of these there are four to each 
range of boards, two at each end and so near each 
other as io leave space enough for admitting a 
plank. The planks or boards which they make use 
of for building their houses, and for other uses, 
they procure of different lengths as occasion re- 
quires, by splitting them out, with hard wooden 
wedges from pine logs^ and afterwards dubbing ttiera 
down with their chisels, with much patience, to 
the inickness wanted, rendering them quite 
smooth. 

There is but one entrance ; this is placed usually 
at the end, though sometimes in the middle as uas 
that of Maquiua's. Through the middle of the 
building from one end to tlie other, runs a passage 



6i 

of about eight or nine feet broad, on each side of 
which, the several families that occupy it, live, 
each having its particular fire place, but withoutany 
kind of wall or separation to mark their respective 
limits; the chief having his apartment at the upper 
end, and the next in rank opposite on the other 
side. They have no other floor than the ground ; 
the fire place or hearth consists of a number of 
stones loosely put together, but they are wholly 
without a chimney, nor is there any opening left in 
the roof, but whenever a fire is made, the plank 
immediately over it is thrust aside, by means of a 
pole, to give vent to the smoke. The height of 
the houses in general, from the ground to the cen- 
ter of the roof does not exceed ten feet, that of 
Maquina's was not far from fourteen ; the spar 
forming the ridge pole of the latter was painted in 
red and black circles alternately, by way of orna- 
ment, and the large posts that supported it had 
their tops curiously wrought or carved, so as to re- 
present human heads of a monstrous size, which 
were painted in their manner. These were not, 
however, considered as objects of adoration, but 
merely as ornaments. 

The furniture of these people is very simple, 
and consists only of boxes, in which they put 
their clothes, furs, and such things as they hold 
most valuable; tubs for keeping their provisions of 
spawn and blubber in; trays from which they eat; 



baskets for their dried fish and other parposes, and 
bags made of bark matting, of which they also 
make their beds, spreading a piece of it upon the 
ground when they lie down, and using no other 
bed covering than their garments. The boxes are 
of pine, with a top that shuts over, and instead of 
nails or pegs, are fastened with flexible twigs; 
they are extremely smooth and high polished, and 
sometimes ornamented with rows of very small 
white shells. The tubs are of a square form, se- 
cured in the like manner, and of various sizes, 
some being extremely large, having seen them 
that were six feet long by four broad and five deep. 
The trays are hollowed out with their chisels from 
a solid block of wood, and the baskets and mats 
are made from the bark of trees. 

From bark they likewise make the cloth for their 
garments, iu the following manner : — A quantity 
of this bark is taken and put into fresh water, 
where it is kept for a fortnight, to give it time to 
completely soften ; it is then taken out and beatea 
upon a plank, with an instrument made of bone, 
or some very hard wood, having grooves or hol- 
lows on one side of it, care being taken to keep 
the mass constantly moistened with water, in 
order to separate, with more ease, the hard and 
woody from the soft and fibrous parts, which^ 
when completed, they parcel out into skeins, like 
tiiread. These they lay in the air to bleach, and 
G 



66 

afterwards dye them black or red, as suits their 
fancies, their natural colour being a pale yellow. 
In order to form the cloth, the womep by whom 
the whole of this process is performed, take a cer- 
tain number of these skeins, and twist them to- 
gether, by rolling them with their hands upon their 
knees into hard rolls, which are afterwards con- 
nected by means of a strong thread, made for the 
purpose. 

Their dress usually consists, of but a single gar- 
ment, which u a loose cloak or mantle (called 
Kuisack^ in one piece, reaching nearly to the feet. 
This is tied loosely over the right or left shoulder, 
go as to leave the arms at full liberty. 

Those of the common people are painted red 
with ochre, the better to ke6p out the rain, but the 
€hiefs wear them of their native colour, which is a 
pale yellow, ornamenting them with borders of the 
sea otter skin, a kind of grey cloth made of the 
hair of some animal which they procure from the 
tribes to the South, or their own cloth wrought or 
painted with various figures in red or black, repre- 
senting men's heads, the sun and moon, fish and 
animals, which are frequently executed with much 
skill. They have also a girdle of the same kind, 
for securing tfiis mantle, or Kutsack, around them, 
which is in general still more highly ornamented, 
and serves them to wear their daggers and knives 



67 

.ia. Iq winter, however, they sometimes make use 
of aa additional garment, which is a lund of hood, 
with a hole in it for the purpose of admitting the 
head, ^d falls over the breast and batk, as low 
as the shoulders; this is bordered both at top and 
bottom with fur, and is never worp, except when 
they go out. 

The garments of the women vary not essentially 
from those of the men, the mantle having holes in 
it for the purpose of admitting the arms, and being 
tied close under the chin, instead of over the 
shoulder. The chiefs have also mantles of the 
gea otter skin, but these are only put on upon 
extraordinary occasions; and one that is made from 
the skin of a certain large animal, which is brought 
from the South 'by the Wickanninish and Kla-iz- 
zarts. This they prepare by dressing it in warm 
water, scraping oif the hair and what flesh adheres 
to it carefully with sharp muscle shells, and spread- 
ing it out in the sun to dry, on a wooden frame, 
80 as to preserve the shape. When dressed in this 
manner, it becomes perfectly white, and as pliable 
as the best deer's leather, but almost as thick again. 
They then paint it in different figures, with such 
paints as they usually employ in decorating their 
persons: these> figures mostly represent human 
heads, canoes employed in catching whales, &c. 

This skin is called Metamelth, and is probably 
G 2 



68 

got from an animal of the mouse kind, it is highfy 
prized by these people, is their great war dress, and 
only worn when they wish to make the best possible 
display of themselves. Strips or bands of it, paint- 
ed as above, are also sometimes used by them for 
girdles or the bordering of their cloaks, and also for 
bracelets and ancle ornaments by some of the infe- 
rior class. 

On their heads when they go out upon any ex- 
cursion particularly whaling or fishing, they wear 
a kind of cap or bonnet in form not unlike a large 
sugar loaf with the top cut off. This is made of the 
same materials with their cloth, but is in general of 
a closer texture and by way of tassel has a long strip 
of the skin of the Metamelth attached to it, covered 
with rows of small white shells or beads. Those 
worn by the common people are painted entirely red, 
the chiefs having theirs of differant colours. The 
one worn by the kiug and which serves to designate 
him from all the others, is longer and broader at the 
bottom ; the top, instead of being fiat, having upon 
it an ornament in the figure of a small urn. It is 
also of a much finer texture than the others, and 
plaited or wrought in black and white stripes with 
the representation in front of a canoe in pursuit of a 
whale, with the harpooner standing in the prow pre- 
pared to strike. This bonnet is called Seeya-poks, 

Their mode of living is very simple — their food 



09 

consisting almost wholly of fish, or fish 8pawn fresh 
or dried, the blubber of the whale, seal, or sea- 
cow, mascles, clams, and berries of various kinds', 
all of which are eaten with a profusion of train oil 
for sauce^ not excepting even the most delicate fruit 
as strawberries and raspberries. With so little va- 
riety in their food, no great secret can be expected 
io their cookery. Of this, indeed, they may be said 
to know but two methods viz. by boiling and 
steaming, and even the latter is not very frequent- 
ly practised by them. Their mode of boiling is as 
follows : Into one of their tubs, they pour water 
sufficient to cook the quantity of provision wanted. 
A number of heated stones are then put in to make it 
boil, when the salmon or other fish are put in with- 
ont Rny other preparation than sometimes cutting off 
the heads, tails and fins, the boiling in the mean 
time been kept up by the application of the hot 
stones, after which it is left to cook until the whole 
is nearly reduced to one mass. It is then taken out 
and distributed in the trays. In a similar manner 
they cook their blubber and spawn, smoked or dried 
fish, and in fine, almost every thing they eat, no- 
thing going down with them like broth. 

When they cook their fish by steam, which are 

usually the heads, tails, and fins of the salmon, 

cod and tjalibut, a large fire is kindled, upon which 

they place a bed of stones, which, when the wood 

G 3 



70 

is burnt down, becomes perfectly heated. Layers 
of green leaves or pine boughs, are then placed 
upon the stones, and the iish, clams, &c. being 
laid upon them, water is poured over them, and 
the whole closely covered with mflt?, to keep hi 
the steam. This is much the best mode of cooking, 
and clams and muscles done in this manner, are 
really excellent. These, as I have said, may be 
considered as their only kinds of cookery ; though 
I have, in a very few instances, known them dress 
the roe or spawn of the salmon and the herring, 
when first taken, in a dififerent manner; this was 
by roasting them, the former being supported be- 
tween two split pieces of pine, and the other 
having a sharp stick run through it, with one end 
fixed in the ground ; sprats are also roasted by 
them in this way, a number being spitted upon one 
stick; and this kind of food, with a little salt, 
would be found no contemptible eating even to an 
European. 

At their meals they seat themselves upon the 
ground, with their feet curled up under them, 
around their trays, which are generally about three 
feet long by one broad, and from six to eight inches 
deep. In eating they make use of nothing but 
their fingers, except for the soup or oil, which they 
lade out with clam shells. Around one of these 
trays, from four to six persons will seat themselves, 
constantly dipping in their fingers or clam shells^ 



Tl 

one after the other. The king and chiefs alone 
have separate trays, from which no one is permitted 
to eat with them, except the qieen, or principal 
wife of the chief, and whenever tie king or one of 
the chiefs wishes to distinguish any of his people 
with a special mark of fav'oar on these occasions, 
he calls him and gives him some of the choice bits 
from his tray. The slaves eat at the same time, 
and of the same provisions, fareing in this respect 
as well as their master?, being seated with the fa- 
mily, and only feeding from separate trays. 

Whenever a feast is given by the king or any of 
the chiefs, there is^a persoii who acts as a master 
of ceremonies, and whose business it is to receive 
the guests as they enter the house, and point out 
to them their respective seats, which is regulated 
with great punctiliousness as regards rank; the 
king occupying the highest or the seat of honour, 
his son or brother sitting next him, and so on with 
the chiefs according to their quality ; the private 
persons belonging to the same family being always 
placed together, to prevent any confusion. The 
women are seldom invited to their feasts, and only 
at those times when a general invitation is given to 
the village. 

As whenever they cook, they always calculate 
to have an abundance for all the guests, a profu- 
gioo ia this respect being considered as the highest 



72 

luxury, much more is usually set before them than 
they caa eat. That which is left in the king's 
tray, he sends to his house for his family, by one 
of his slaves, as do the chiefs theirs, while those 
who eat from the same tiay, and who generally 
belong to the same fainily. take it iiome as commoa 
stock, or each one receives his portion, which is 
distributed on the spot. This custom appeared 
very singulaii to my companion and myself, and 
it was a most awkwaul thing for us at first, to 
have to lug home with us, in our hands or arms, 
the blnbber or fish that we received at these times, 
but we soon became reconciled to it, and were very 
glad of an opportunity to do it. 

In point of personal appearance the people of 
Nootka are among the best looking of any of the 
tribe^ that I have seen. The men are in general 
from about five feet six to five feet eight inches in 
height; remarkably strait, of a good form, robust, 
and strong, with their limbs in general well turned 
and proportioned excepting the legs and feet, which 
are clumsy and ill formed, owing no doubt to their 
practice of sitting on iliem, though I have seen in- 
stances in which they Uere very well shaped, this 
defect is more particularly apparent in the women, 
who are for the most part of the time within doors, 
and constantly sitting while employed in their cook- 
ing and other occupations. The only instance of 
deformity that I saw amongst them was a man of 



73 

dvvarfish stature ; he was thirty years old and but 
three feet three inches high, he had however no 
other defect than his diminutive size being well 
made, and as strong and able to bear fatigue as 
what they were in general. 

Their complexion, when freed from the paint 
and oil with which their skins are generally co- 
vered, is a bi'own, somewhat inclining to a copper 
cast. The shape of the face is oval; the features 
are tolerably regular, the lips being thin and the 
teeth very white and even; their eyes are black, 
but rather small, and the nose pretty well formed, 
being neither flat nor very prominjMit ; their hair 
is black* long and coarse, but they have no beard, 
completely extirpating it, as well as the hair from 
their bodies, Maquioa being the only exception, 
who 8u3"ered his beard to grow on his upper lip, in 
the manner of raustachioa, which was considered 
as a mark of dignity. 

As to the women, they are much whiter, many 
of them not being darker than those in some of the 
Southern parts of Europe. They are in general 
very well looking, and some quite handsome, 
Maquina's favourite wife in particular, who was a 
Wickinninish princess, would be considered as a 
beautiful woman in any country. She was un- 
commonly well formed, tall, and of a majestic 



H I 

appearance ; her skin remarkably fair for one of 
these people, with considerable colour, her features 
handsome, and her eyes black, soft, and lan- 
guishing; her hair was very long, thick, and 
black, as is that of the females in general, which 
is much softer than that of the men ; io this they 
take much pride, frequently oiling and plaiting 
it carefully into two broad plaits, tying the ends 
with a atrip of the cloth of the country, and letting 
it hang down before on each side of the face. 

The women keep their garments much neater 
and cleaner than the men, and are extremely mo- 
dest in their deportment and dress ; their mantle, 
or Kutsack, which is longer than that of the men, 
reaching quite to their feet, and completely en- 
veloping them, being tied close under the chin, 
and bound with a girdle of the same cloth, or of sea 
otter skin around their waists; it has also loose 
sleeves which reach to the elbows. Though fond 
of ornamenting their persons, they are by no means 
so partial to paint as the men, merely colouring 
their eye-brows black, and drawing a bright red 
stripe from each corner of the mouth towards the 
ear. Their ornaments consist chiefly of ear-rings, 
necklaces, bracelets, rings for the fingers and ancles, 
and small nose jewels, (the latter are, however, 
wholly confined to the wives of the king or chiefs,) 
these are principally made out of copper or brags. 



75 

highly polished, and of various forms and sizes; 
the nose jewel is usnatly a sraail white slieil or 
bead suspended to a thread. 

The wives of the common people frequently 
wear for bracelets and ancie rings, strips of the 
country cloth or skin of the M^tameith painted in 
figures, and tbo^e of the king or principal chiefs, 
bracelets and necklaces, consisting of a number of 
strings of Tfe-waw, an article much prized by them, 
and which makes a very handsome appearance. 
This Ife-waw^ as they term it, is d kind of shell 
of a dazzling whiteness, and as smooth as ivory, it 
is of a cylindrical form, in a slight degree curved, 
about the size of a goose quill, hollow, three in- 
ches in length, and gradually tapering to a point, 
which is broken off by the natives, as it is taken 
from the water; this they afterwards string upon 
threads of bark, and sell it by the fathom; it forms 
a kind of circulating medium among these nations, 
five fathoms being considered as the price of a slave 
their most valuable species of property. It is prin- 
cipally obtained from the Aitizzarts, a people living 
about thirty or forty miles to the Northward, who 
collect it from the reefs and sunken rocks* with 
which their coast abounds, though it is also brought 
in considerable quantity from the South. 

Their mode of taking it has been thus described to 
me : — To one end of a pole is fastened a piece of 



76 

plank, in which a considerable nunnber of pine pegs 
are inserted, made sharp at the ends; above the 
plank, in order to sink it, a stone or some weight 
is tied, and the other end of the pole suspended to a 
long rope; this is let down perpendicularly by the 
Jfe-waw fishers in those places where that sub- 
stance is found, which are usually from fifty to 
sixty fathoms deep. On finding the bottom, they 
raise the pole up a few feet, and i<t it fall, this 
they repeat a number of times as if scuoding, when 
they draw it up, and take olT ihe If e-zcazo which is 
found adhering to the points. This method of 
procuring it is very laborious and fatiguing, espe- 
cially as they seldom take more than two or three 
of these shells at a time, and frequently none. 

Though the 'women, as I have said, make but 
little use of paint, the very reverse is the case with 
the men. In decorating their heads and faces, they 
place their principal pride, and none of our most 
fashionable beaus, when preparing for a grand ball, 
can be more particular; for I have known Maqni- 
na, after having been employed more than an hour 
in painting his fa<;e, rub the whole off, and re- 
commence the operation anew, when it did not 
eBtirely please him. 

The manner in which they paint themselves fre- 
quently varies, according to the occasion, but it 
oftener is the mere dictate of whim. The most 



7T 

usual method is to paint the eyebrows black, in 
form of a half moon, and the face red ia small 
squares, with the arms' and legs and part of ths 
body red ; sometimes one half of the face is painted 
red in squares, and the other black; at others, dotted 
witaspots.of red aad black instead of squares, with 
a variety of other devices, such as paiating one 
half of the face and body red, and the other black. 
But a method of painting which they sometimes 
employed, and which they were much more parti- 
cular in, was by laying on the face a quantity of 
bear's grease of about one eighth of an inch thick ; 
this they raised up into ridges resemblino' a small 
bead in joiner's work, with a stick prepared for the 
purpose, and then painted them red, which gave 
the face a very singular appearance. On extraor- 
dinary occasions, the king and principal chiefs used 
to strew over their faces, afler painting, a fine black 
si^iioing powder, procured from some mineral, as 
:iqu!na told me it was got from the rocks. This 
they call pelpelth and value it highly, as, in their 
opinion, it serves to set off their looks to great 
advantage, glittering especially in the sun, like 
silver. — This article . is brought them in bags by 
the Ne'wchemass, a very savage nation who live a 
long way to the North, from whom they like-.vise 
receive a superior kind of red paint, a species of 

ry fine and rich ochre, which they hold ia much 

■ iination. 

n 



I! 



78 

NotvvHhstanding this custom of painting theai- 
selves, they make it an invariable practice, both 
in summer and winter, to bathe once a day, and 
sometimes oftener ; but as the paint is put on with 
oil, it is not much discomposed thereby, and 
whenever they wish to wjish it off, they repair to 
some piece of fresh water and scour themselves 
w ith sand or rushes. 



In dressing their heads on occasion of a festival 
or a^visit, they are full as particular, and almost 
as long, as in painting. T^he hair, after being well 
oiled, is carefully gathered upon the top of the 
head, and secured by a piece of pine or spruce 
bough, with the green leaves upon it. After hav- 
ing it properly fixed in this manner, the king and 
principal chiefs' used to strew all over it the white 
down obtained from a species of large brown eagle, 
which abounds on this coast, and which- they are 
very particular in arranging so as not io have a 
single feather out of place, occasionally wetting 
the hair to make it adhere. This, together with 
the bough, which is sometimes of considerable 
size, and stuck over with feathers by means of 
turpentine, gives them a very singular and gro- 
tesque appearance, which they, however, think 
very becoming, and the first thing they do on 
learning the arrival of strangers, is to go and de- 
corate themselves in this manner. 



1 



79 

The men also wear bracelets of paioled leather 
or copper, and large ear-rings of the latter, but 
the ornament on which they appear to set the 
most value, is the nose-jewel, if such an appella- 
tiou may be given to the wooden stick which some 
of them employ for this purpose. The king and 
chiefs, however, wear them of a dififerent form, 
being either small pieces of polished copper or brass, 
of which I made many for them, in tbe shape of 
hearts and diamonds, or a tw?sted conical shell 
about half an inch in length of a blueish colour and 
very bright, which is brought from the South. 
These are supsended by a small wire or string to the 
hole, in the gristle of the nose, which is formed in 
•infancy, by boreing it with a pin, the hole being 
altervrards ©nlargsfl by the repeated insertion of 
wooden pegs of an increased size, until it become* 
about the diameter of a pipe stem, though some 
have them of a size nearly sufficient to admit the 
little finger. 

The common class who cannot readily procure 
the more expensive jewels that 1 have mentioned, 
substitute for them, usually, a smooth round stick, 
some of which are of an almost incredible length, 
for I have seen them projecting not less than eight 
or nine inches beyond the face oa each side; this 
is made fast, or secured in its place by little wedges 
on each side of it. These sprit-sail-yard fellows, 
as my messmate used to call them, when rigged 
H 2 



80 

•ut in this manner, made quite a strange show, and 
it was his delight, whenever he saw one of them 
coming towards as with an air of consequence pro- 
portioned to the length of his stick, to put up hi& 
liand suddenly as he was passing him, so as to 
strike the stick, in order, as he said, to hrace hlra 
up sharp to the wind ; this used to make them 
very angry, but nothing ^as more remote from 
Thompson's ideas than a wish to cultivate their 
favour. 

The natives of Nootka appear to have bat little 
inclination for the chace, though some of them were 
expert marksmen, and used sometimes to shoot 
ducks and geese, hut the seal and the sea-otter 
form the principal objects of their huaticg, parti- 
cularly the latter. 

Of this animal, so mifch noted for its valuable 
^kin, the following description may not be unin- 
teresting : The sea-otter is nearly five feet iq 
length, exclusive of the tail, which is about twelve 
inches, and is very thick and broad where it joins 
the body, but gradually tapers to (he end, which is 
tipped with white. The colour of the rest is a shin- 
ing silky black, with the exception of a broad white 
stripe on the top of the head. Nothing can be 
more beaatiful than one of these animals when seen 
swimming, especially when on the look out for any 
object. At such times it raises its head quite abov« 



81 

the surface, and the contrast between the shining 
black and the white, together with its sharp ears 
and a long tuft of hair rising from the middle of its 
forehead, which looks like three small horns, ren- 
der it quite a novel and attractive object. They 
are^in general very tame, and will permit a canoe 
or boat to approach very near before they dive. I 
was told, however, that they are become much 
more shy since they have been accustomed to sh(5f*t 
them with muskets, then when they used only 
arrows. 

The skin is held in great estimation in China, 
more especially that of the tail, the fur of which is 
finer and closer set than that on the body. This is 
always cut off and sold separately by the natives. 
The value of a skin is determined by its size, that 
being considered as a prime skin which will reach, 
in length, from a man's chin to his feet. The food 
of the sea-otter is fish, which he is very dexterous 
in taking, being an excellent swimmer, with feel 
webbed like those of a goose. They appear to be 
wholly confined to the sea coast, at least to the salt 
water. They have usually three or four young at 
a time, but I know not how often they breed, nor 
in what place they deposit their young, though 
1 have frequently seen them swimming around Jhe 
mother, when no larger than rats. The flesh is 
eaten- by the natives, cooked in their usual mode,- by 
H-3 



82 

boiling, and is far pieferable to that of the seal, of 
which they make much acco-ant. 

But if not great hunters, there are few people 
More expert in fishing. Their lines are generally 
made from the sinew of the whale, and are ex- 
tremely strong. For the hook, they usually make 
use of a straight piece of hard wood, in the lower 
part of which is inserted and well secured, with 
thread or whale sinew, a bit of bone made very 
sharp at the point and bearded; but I used to 
make for them hooks from iron, which they pre- 
ferred, not only as being less liable to break, but 
more certain of securing the fish. Cod, halibut, 
and other sea fish were not only caught by them 
with hooks, but even salmon. 

To take this latter fish, they practise the follow- 
ing method : One person seats himself in a small 
canoe, and baiting his hook with a sprat, which 
they are always careful to procure as fresh as possi- 
ble, fastens his line to the handle of the paddle; 
this, as he plies it in the water, keeps the fish in 
constant motion, so as to give it the appearance of 
life, which the salmon seeing, leaps at it, and is 
instantly hooked, and by a sudden and (dexterous 
motion of the paddle, drawn on board. I have 
known some of the natives take no less than eight 
or ten salmoa of a morning, in this manner, and 



83 

have seen from twenty to thirty canoes at a time ia 
Friendly Cove thus employed. 

They are likewise little less skilful in taking the 
whale. This they kill with a kind of javelin or 
harpoon, thus constructed and fitted — The barbs 
are formed of bone, which are sharpened on the 
outer side, and hollowed within, for the purpose 
of forming a socket for the staff; these are then 
secured firmly together with a whaie sinew, the 
point being fitted so as to receive a piece of muscle 
shell, which is ground to a very sharp edge, and 
secured in its place by means of turpentine. To 
this head or prong i» fastened a strong lina of whale 
sinew, about nine feet in length, to the end of 
which is tied a bark rope from fifty to sixty fathoms 
long, having from twenty to thirty seal-skin floats 
or buoys, attached to it at certain intervals, in 
order to check the motion of the whale, and ob- 
struct his diving. In the socket of the harpoon a 
staff or pole of about ten feet long, gradually taper- 
ing from the middle to each end, is placed ; this 
the harpooner holds in his hand, ia order to strike 
the whale, and immediately detaches it as soon as 
the fish is struck. 

The whale is considered as the king's fish, and 
no other person, when he is piesent, is permitted to 
touch him, until the rayal harpoon has fir^t drawn 
his blood, however near he may approach; and 



84 

it would be considered almost as sacrilege for any 
of the common people to strike a whale, before he 
is killed, particularly if any of the chiefs should be 
present. They also kill the porpoise and sea cow 
with harpoons, but this inferior game is not inter- 
dicted the lower class. 

% 

With regard to their canoes, some of the hand- 
somest to be found on the whole coast are made at 
Nootka, though very fine ones are brought by the 
Wickininish and the Kia-iz-zarts, who have them 
more highly ornamented. They are of all sizes^ 
from such as are capable of holding only one per- 
son to their ^largest war canoes, which will carry 
forty men, and are extremely light. Of these, the 
largest of any that I ever saw, was one belonging 
to Macqiiina, which I measured, and found to be 
forty-tzco feet six inches in length at the bottom, 
and fortij-six feet from stem to stern. These are 
made of pine hollowed out from a tree with their 
chisels solely, which are about three inches broad 
and six in length, and set into a handle of very 
hard wood. 

This instrument was formerly made of flint, or 
some hard stone ground down to as sharp an edge 
as possible, but since they have learned the use of 
iron, they have almost ail of them of that metal. 
Instead of a mallet for striking this chisel, they 
saake use of a smooth round stone, which they hold 



* 85 

in the palm of the hand. With this saina awk- 
ward instrument, they not only excavate their 
canoes and trays, and smooth their plank, but cut 
down such trees as they want, either for building, 
fuel, or other purposes, a labour which is mostly 
done by their slaves* 

The felling of treet, as practised by them, ie a 
slow and most tediong process, three of them being 
generally from two to three day« in cuttiflf? down a 
large one; yet go attached were they to their own 
method, that notwithalanding they saw Thompson 
frequently with one of cur a>;e8, of which there 
was a number saved, fell a tree in less time tiiaa 
Ihey could have g;one round it with their chisels, 
siill they cotiid aot be persuaded to ttsalie Use of 
them. 

After hollowing out their canoes, which they do 
very neatly; they fashion ihe outside, and slightly 
barn it for the purpose of removing any splinters 
or small points that might obstruct its passage 
through the water, after which they rub it over 
thoroughly with rushes or coarse mats, in order to 
smooth it, which not only renders it almost as 
smooth as glass, but forms a better security for it 
from the weather ; this operation of burning and 
fubbing down the bottoms of iheir canoes, is prac- 
tised as often as they acquire any considerably 



86 

Jegvee of roughoess from use. The outside, hf 
this means, becomes quite black, and to complete 
their work, they paiot the inside of a bright red, 
with ochre, or some other similar substance ; the 
prows and sterns are almost always ornamealed 
with figures of ducks, or some other kind of bird, 
the former being so fashioned as to represent the 
head, and the latter the, tail; these are separate 
pieces from the canoe, and are fastened to it with 
small ilexible twigs or bark cord. 

Some of these canoes, particularly those employ- 
ed in whaling, which will hold about ten men, are 
ornamented within about two inches below the gun- 
wale, with two parallel lines on each side of very 
small white shells, fanning fore and aft, which lias 
a very pretty effect. Their war canoes have no 
ornament of this kind, but are painted en the out- 
side with figures in white chalk, representing 
eagles, whales, human heads, &c. They are very 
dexterous in the use of their paddles, which are 
very neatly wrought, and are live feef long, w'ith a 
short handle, and a blade seven inches broad in th6 
middle, tapering to a sharp point. With these they 
will make a canoe skim very swiftly on the water, 
with scarcely any noise, while they keep time to the 
stroke of the paddle with their gongs. 

With regard to these, they have a number which 



87 

they sing oa various occasions ; as wa*,* whaling. 
and fishing,' at their marriages and feasts, and at 
■public festivals or solemnities. The language of 
the most of these appears to be very different, in 
many respects, from that used in their common 
conversation, which leads me to believe, either 
•that they have a different mode of expressing them* 
selves in poetry, or that they borrow their songs 
from their neighbour; and what the more particu- 
larly induces me to the latter opinion is, that 
whenever any of the Newchemass, a people from 
the Northward, and who speak a very different 
language, arrived, they used to tell me that they 
expected a new song, and were almost always sure 
to have one. 

Their tunes are generally soft and plaintive, and 
though not possessing great variety, are not defici- 
ent in harmony. — Their singing is generally accom- 
panied with several rude kinds of instrumental 
music ; among th.e most prominent of which is a 
kind of a drum. This is nothing more than a long 
plank hollowed out on the under side and made 
quite thin, which is beat upon by a stick of about 
a foot long, and renders a sound not unlike beating 
on the head of an empty cask, Vut much louder. 

But the two most favourite instruments are the 

* A specimen of one of their war songs will be found at 
the end of this work. 



88 

rJittie aod the pipe or whistle; these are however 
oaly used by the king, the chiefs, or some particu- 
lar persons ; the former is made of dried seal-slun, 
so as to represent a fish, and is filled with a num- 
ber of small smooth j)ebbles, it has a short handle 
and is painted red. The wnistle is made o$ bone, 
generally the leg of a deer, it is short but emits a 
very shrill sound. They have likewise another 
kind of music, which they make use of in dancing, 
in the manner of castanets, this is produced by a 
number of muscle or cockle shells tied together 
and shaken to a kind of tune, which is accompa- 
nied with the voice. 

Their slaves, as 1 have observed, form their 
most valuable species of properly. These ajc of 
bo'h sexes, being either captives taken by them- 
selves in war, or purchased from the neighbouring 
tribes, and who reside in the same house, forming 
as it were a part of the family, are usually kindly 
treated, eat of the same food, and live as well as 
their masters. They are compelled however at 
times to labour severely, as not only all the menial 
offices are performed by them, such as bringing wa- 
ter, catting wood and a variety of others, but they 
are obliged to make the canoes, to assist in build- 
ing and repairing the houses, to supply their mas- 
ters with fish, .and to attend thera in war and to 
fight for them. 



89 

None b!it the king aod chiefa have slaves, the 
tammon people being preveated from holding them 
f^ilher from their inability to purchase them, or. as I 
am rather inclined to think from its being considered 
as the privilege of the former alone to have them, 
especially as all those made prisoners in war belong 
either to the king or the chiefs, who have captured 
them, each one holding such as have been taken by 
himself or his slaves. There is probably however 
some little distinction in favor of the king, who is 
always the commander of the expedition, as Ma- 
<^uina had nearly fifty, male and female, in his 
house, a number constituting about one half of its 
inhabitants, comprehending those obtained by war 
and purchase, whereas none of the other chiefs had 
more than twelve. The females are employed 
principally in manufacturing cloth, in cooking, 
collecting berries, &c. and with regard to food and 
living in general have not a much harder lot thaa 
their mistresses, the principal difference consisting, 
in these poor unfortunate creatures being considered 
as free to any one, their masters prostituting them 
vrheneverlhey think proper for the purpose of gain. 
In this way many of them are brought on board the 
ships and offered to 4he crews, from whence an opi- 
nion appears to have been formed by some of our 
navigators, injurious to the chastity of their fe- 
iimles, than which nothing can be more generally 
untrue, as perhaps in no part of the world is that 
virt'je more prized. 

I 



90 

The houses at Nootka as already stated, are 
about twenty, without comprising those inhabited 
by the Klahars, a small tribe that has been con- , 
quered and incoporat^d into that of Nootka, though || 
they must be considered as in a state of vassalage 
as (hey are not permitted to have any chiefs among 
themj and live by themselves in a cluster of small 
houses at a little distance from the village. The 
Noolka tribe which consists of about five hundred 
warriors, is not only more numerous than almost 
any of the neighbouring tribes, but far exceeds them 
in the strength and martial spirit of it« people; and 
in fact there are but few nations within a hundred 
miles either to the North or South but are considered 
as tributary to them. ^ 

In giving some account of the tribes that were 
accustomed to visit Nootka, I shall commence at 
the Southward with the Kla-iz zarts, and the Wick- 
ininish, premising that in point of personal appear- 
ance there prevails a wonderful diversity between 
the various tribes on the coast, with the exception 
of the feet and legs, which are badly shaped in 
almost all of them from their practice of sitting on 
them. 

The Kla-iz-zarts are a numerous and powerful 

tribe, living nearly three hundred miles to the South 
and are said to consist of more than a thousand war- 
riors. They appear to be more civilized th^a any of 



91 

the others, being better and more neatly dresseJ, 
more mild and affable in their manners, remarkable 
for their sprightliness and vivacity, and celebrated 
for their singing and dancing. They exibit also 
greater marks of improvement in whatever is 
wrought by them; their canoes though not superior 
to those of Nootka in point of form and lightness, 
are more highly ornamented, and their vrcai'ona 
' and tools of every kind have a much higher finish 
and display more skill in the workmanship- Their 
cast of countenence is very different from that of 
the Nootkians, their faces being very broad, with 
a less prominent nose and smaller eyes, and the top 
of the head flattened as if it had' been pressed dowa 
with a weight. Their complexion is also much 
fairer, and their stature shorter, though they are 
well formed and strongly set. 

They have a custom which appears to be peculiav 
to them, as I never observed it iu any of the other 
tribes, which is to pluck out not only their beards, 
and the hair from their bodies, but also their eye- 
brows, so as not to leave a vestige remaining. 
They were also in general more skilful in painiing 
and decorating themsclvesj and I have seen some of 
them with no less than a dozen holes in each of their 
ears to which were suspended strings of small beads 
about two inches in leoglh. Their language is the 
same as spoken at Ncotki, but their pronuscialion 
is much more hoarse and guttural. These people 
i 2 



9^ 

sre not coly very expert ia whaling, but are great 
banters, of the sea otter and other animals, witlv 
which their country is said to abound, and the Meta- 
Bielth a large animal of the deer hind, the skin of 
which I have already spoken of, another of a light 
grey colour, with very fine-hair from which they 
jriacufacture a handsome cloth, the beaver, and a 
species of large wild cat, or tyger cat. 

The Wickinnish, their neighbours on the Norfh, 
are about two hundred miles from Nootka. They 
area robust strong and warlike people, but consif 
dered by the Nootkians.aa thei» inferiors in courage. 
This tribe is more numerous than that of Nootka, 
Rmounting tobetw-een s'ix and seven huudred warri- 
or?. Though* not so civilized as the Kla-iz zarts 
aQ(i less skilful in their manufactures, like them 
Ihey employ themselv'es in hunting as well as ia 
Tf haling and fishing. Their faces are broa^ but less 
•so than the Kia-iz-zarts, with a darker complexion, 
and a much less open and pleasing expression •! 
countenance, while their heads present a very diffe- 
tent form, being pressed in at the sides and length- 
ened towards the top, somewhat in the shape of a 
sugar loaf. These people are very frequent visitors 
at Nootka, a close friendship subsisting between 
the two nations, Maquina's Jtrcomah, or Queen». 
Y-ya-iintla-no^ being the daughter of the Wickinni- 
nish kins:. 



\ 



93 

The Kla-oo-quates adjoiaiug them on the NortI* 
are much less numerous, their force not exceeding 
four hundred fighting men ; they are also behind 
them in th« arts of life. These are a fierce, bold, 
and enterprizing people, and there were none that 
visited Nootka, whom Maquina used to be more on 
bis guard against, or viewed with so much su^pici- 
on. The Eshquates are about the same number; 
these are considered as tributary to Maquina : 
• Their coast abounds with rivers, creeks, and 
marshes. 

To the North the nearest tribe of any importance 
is the Aitizzarts ; these however do not exceed 
three hundred warriors. In appearance they greatly 
resemble the people of Nootka, to whom they are 
considered as tributary, their manners, dress, and 
style of living also being very similar. They resile 
at about forty miles distance op the sound. A con- 
aiderable way farther to i\)e northward are thd 
Cai/uqueis', these are a much more numerous tribe 
thaft that of Nootka but thought by the latter to be 
deficient in courage and martial spirit, Maquina 
having frequently told me that their hearts were 
a little like those of birds. 

There are also both at the North and South 
many other intervening tribes, but in general 
small in number and insignificant, all of whom 
as well aa the above mentioned speak the sarae 



94 ■■ 

language. Bat the Newchemass who come from 
a great way to the Northward, and from some 
distance inland, as I was told by Maquina, speak 
quite a different language, although it is \?ell 
understood by those of Nootka. These were the 
*i08t savage looking and ugly men that 1 ever saw, 
their complexion being much darker, their stature 
shorter, and their hair coarser, than that of the other 
nations, and their dress and appearance dirty in aa 
extreme. They wear their beards long like Jews, 
and have a very morose and surly countenace. 
Their usual dress is a Kootsuk made of wolf skin, 
with a number of the tails attached to it, of which 
I have seen no less than ten on one garment, bang- 
ing from the top to the bottom ; though they some- 
times weara similar mantle of bark cloth, of a mach 
coarser texture than that of Nootka, the origioal 
of which appears to be the same, though from their 
Tery great filthiness it was almost impossible to dis- 
cover what it had been. 

Their mode of dressing their hair also varies es- 
sentially from that of the other tribes, for they 
suffer that on the back of the head to hang loose, 
and bind the other over their foreheads in the man- 
lier of a jQUett, with a strip of their country cloth, 
ornamented with small white shells. Their wea- 
pons are the CheetooUh^ or war-club, which is 
made from whale bone, daggers, bow and arrows, 
and a Kind of spear pointed with bone or copper. 



95 

They bronght with them no furs for sale exceplmp: 
a few wolf skins, their merchandize consisting 
principally of the blacli shining mineral called pel- 
peth, and the fine red paiat which they carefully 
kept in close mat bags. s:ome small dried salmon, 
clams, and roes of fish, with occasionally a little 
coarse matting cloth. They were accustomed to 
remain a much longer time at Ncotka than the other 
tribes, in order to recover from the fatigue of a 
long journey, part of which was over land,, and on 
these pccasioos taught their son^s to our savages. 

The trade of mo»t of the other tribes with Noot- 
ka, was principally train oil, seal or whale's blub- 
ber, fish fresh or dried, herring or salmon spawn, 
clams, and muscles, and the yama, a species of 
fruit which is pressed and dried, cloth, sea otter 
skins, and slaves. From the Aitizzarts, and the 
Caynquets, particularly the former, the best 
I-whawand in the greatest quantities was obtained. 
The Eshquates furnished us with wild ducks and 
geese, particularly the latter. The Wickininish 
and Kla-iz-^arts brought to market rcany slaves, 
the best sta otter akins, great quantities of oil, 
whale sinew, and cakes of the y<ima^ highly 
ornamented canoes, some Lwhaw, red ochre and 
pelpeth of an inferior quality to that obtained from 
the Newchemass, but particularly the so much 
valued Meiamelth^ and an excellant root called by 
the Kla-iz-zarts Quawnoose, This is the size of a 



m 

small oaioD, but rather longer, being of a tapering 
form iike a pear, and of a brownish colour. It is 
cooked by steam, is always brought in baskets 
ready prepared for eating, and is in truth a very 
fiue vegetable, being 8we?t, mealy and of a most 
agreeable flavour. It was highly esteemed by the 
natives who used to eat it as they did every thing 
else with train oil. From the Kla-iz-zarts was 
also received, though in no great quantity, a cloth 
manufactured by them from the fur already spoken 
of, which feels like wool and is of a grey colour. 

Many of the articles thus brouglit, particularly 
the provisions, were considered as presents, or 
tributary offerings, but this must be viewed as little 
more than a nominal acknowledgement of superi- 
ority, as they rarely failed to get the full amount of 
the value of their presents, I have known etghteen 
of the great tubs, in which they keep their provisi^ 
ons, filled with spawn brought in this way. On 
these oeeasions a great feast is always made, to 
which not only the strangers, but the whole village 
men, women, 'and children are generally invited, 
and I have seen five of the largest tubs employed 
at such time, in cooking at the king's house. At 
these feasts they generally indulge in eating to as 
excess, making up in this respect for thar want of 
iniebratiog liquors, which they know no method of 
preparing in any form, their only drink being 
watef. 



( 



97 

Whenever they came to visit or trade, it vpas- 
their general custom, to stop a few miles distant 
under the Ice of some bluff or rock, and rig them- 
selves out in their be»t manner, by painting and 
drftssing their heads. On their first coming on shore 
they were invited to eat by the king, when they 
brought to him su«h articles as he wanted, after 
which the rest of the inhabitants were permitted to 
purchase, the strangers being careful to keep them 
io their canoes until sold, under strict guard to 
prevent ^leir being stolen, the dispositioa of these 
people for thieving being so great, that it is necessa- 
ry to keep a watchful eye upon them. 

This was their usual mode oftraiUck, but when- 
ever they wished to purchase any particular object, 
as for instance, a certain slave, or some other thing 
of which they were very desirous, the canoe that 
came for this purpose would lie off a little distance 
from the shore, and a kind of ambassador or repre- 
sentative of the king or chief by whom it was sent, 
dressed in their best manoer, and with his head 
covered with the white down, would rise, and after 
making known the object of his mission in a pom- 
pous speech, hold up' specimens of such articles as 
he was instructed to offer in payment, mentioning 
the number or quantity of each, when if the bar- 
gain was concluded, the exchange was immediately 
made. 



98 

On their visits of friendship or traffic, the chiefs 
alone used to sleep on shore, this was generally 
at the house of the king or the head chief, the others 
passing the night on board of their canoes, which 
was done not only for the preservation of their 
property, but because they were not permitted to 
remain ©n shore, lest they might excite some dis- 
fturbance or commit depredations. 

All these people generally go armed, the com- 
mon class wearing only a dagger suspended from 
their neck behind, with a string of metamelih, and 
gometiraes thrust in their girdles. Ths chiefs, in 
addition to the dagger, carry the cheetoUh^ or war 
club suspended in the same manner beneath their 
mantles; this in the hands of a strong man, is a 
powerful weapon, in the management of which, 
gome of the older chiefs are very dexterous. It is 
made from the bone of a whale, and is very heavy. 
The blade is about eighteen inches long and three 
broad, till it approaches near the point, where it 
expands to the breadth of four inches. In the 
middle, from whence it slopes off gradually to 
an edge on each side, it is from one to two inches 
in thickness. This blade is usually covered with 
figures jof the sun and moon, a man^s head, &c, 
and the hilt, which is made to represent the head 
of a man or some animal, is curiously set with 
amall white shells, and has a band of metameltk 



09 

fastened lo it in order to sliug it over the ahoulder. 
Some of the tribes have also a kind of spear headed 
with copper or the bone of the sting ray, which is a 
dangerous weapon ; this is, however, not usual, 
and only carried by the chiefs. The bow and 
arrow are still used by a few, but sittce the intro- 
duction of fire-arms among them, this weapon has 
been mostly laid aside. 

T3ut to return io our unhappy situation. Though 
-my comrade and myself fared as well, and even 
better than we could have expected among these 
people, considering their customs and mode of living, 
yet oar feass lest no ship would come to our release, 
and that we should never more behold a Christian 
country, were io us a source of constant pain. Our 
principal consolation in this gloomy state, was to 
go on Sundays, whenever the weather would per- 
mit, to the borders of a fresh water pond, about a 
mile from the village, where, after bathing, and 
putting on clean clothes, we would seat ourselves 
under the shade of a beautiful pine, while I read 
some chapters in the Bible, and the prayers ap- 
{minted by oar Church for the day, ending our 
devotions with a fervent prayer to the Almighty, 
that he would deign still io watch over and pre- 
serve our lives, rescue us from the hands of the 
savages, and permit us once more to behold a Chris- 
tian land. 



100 

In this manner were the greater part of oar Sun- 
days passed -at Nootka; and I felt grateful to hea- 
ven, that amidst our other sufferings, we were at 
least allowed the pleasure of offering up our devo- 
tions unmolested, for Maquina, on my explaining 
to him as well as was in my power the reason of 
our thus retiring at this time, far from objecting, 
readily consented to it. The pond above mentioned 
was small, not more than a quarter of a mile in 
breadth, and of no great length, the water being 
I'ery clear, though not of great depth, and bor- 
dered by a beautiful forest of pine, fir, elm, and 
and beach, free from bushes and underwood — a 
most delightful retreat, which was rendered still 
more attractive by a gr^at number of bitds that 
frequented it, particularly the4iummiBg bird. Thi- 
ther we used to go to wash our clothes, and felt 
secure from any intrusion from the natives, as they 
rarely visited it, except for the purpose of cleansing 
themselves of their paint. 

In July we at length thought that the hope of 
delivery we had so long anxiously indulged, was 
on the point of being grati&ed. A. ship appeared 
in the offing; but alas! our fond hopes vanished 
almost as soon as formed; for instead of standing 
in for the shore she passed to the northward, and 
soon disappeared. 1 shall not attempt to describe 
•our disappointment— my beart sunk within me, and 



101 

I felt as thoagh it was my destiny never more to 
behold a Christian face. Four days after there 
occurred a tremendous storm of thunder and light- 
ning, during which the natives manifested great 
alarm and terror, the whole tribe hurrying to Ma- 
quina's house, where, instead of keeping within, 
t^iey seated themselves on the roof, amid the se- 
verest of the tempest, drumming upon the boards, 
and looking up to heaven, while the king beat the 
long hollow plank, singing, and, as he afterwards 
told me, begging Quahootze^ the name they give 
to God, not to kill them, in which he was accom- 
panied by the whole tribe; this singing and drum- 
ming was continued until the storm abated. 

As the summer drew near its close, we began to 
suffer from the frequent want of food, which was prin- 
cipally owing to Maquina and the chiefs being out 
whaling, in which he would not permit Thompson 
and myself to join, lest we should make our escape 
to some of the neighbouring trib'es. At these times 
the women, seldom or ever cook any provision, and 
we were often hungry, but were sometimes fortu- 
nate enough to procure secretly, a piece of salmon, 
some other fish, spawn, or even blubber, which, 
by boiling in salt water, with a few onions and 
turnips, the remains of the Spanisb garden, or 
young nettles or other herbs, furnished us a deli- 
cious repast in private. 

K 



102 

In the mean time, we frequently received ac- 
counts from the tribes who came to Nootka, both 
from the North and South, of there being vessels 
on the coast, and were advised by their chiefs to 
make our escape, who also promised us their aid, 
and to put us on board. These stories, however, 
as I afterwards learned, were almost all of them 
without any foundation, and merely invented by 
these people with a view to get us into their power, 
in order to make slaves of us themselves, or to sell 
us to others. ^ 

But I was still more strongly solicited to leave 
Nootka by a woman. This was a Wickinninish 
princess, a younger sister of Maquina's wife, who 
was there on a visit. I had the good fortune, if it 
may be so called, to become quite a favourite with 
her. She appeared much interested for me — asked 
me many questions respecting my country, if I 
had a mother and sister at home, and if they would 
not grieve for my absence. Her complexion was 
fairer than that of the women in general, and her 
features more regular, and she would have been 
quite handsome had it not been for a defect in one 
of her eyes, the sight of which had been injured by 
some accident, the reason, as Maquina told me, 
why she had not been married, a defect of this kind 
being by these savages considered as almost an 
insuperable objection. She urged me repeatedly to 
return.with her, telling me that the Wickinninish 



10:i 

were mucli better tliau the Nootkians; that her 
father would treat me more kiudly thaa Maquina, 
give me better fbod and clothes, and finally, pat 
me oa board one of my own country .vessels. I 
felt, however, little disposed to accompaay her, 
considering my situation wiih Maquina full as 
eligible as it would be with VVickinQiDish, if not 
better, notwithstandiDg all she said to the con- 
trary. 

On the 3d of September, the whole tribe quitted 
Nootka, according to their constant practice, in 
order to pass the autumn and winter at Tashees 
and Cooptee, the latter lying abouMhirty miles up 
the Sound, in a deep bay, the navigation of which 
is very dangerous, from the great number of reefs 
and rocks with which it abounds. On tijcse occa- 
sions every thing is taken with them, even the 
planks of their houses, in order to cover their new 
dwellings. To an European, such a removal exhi- 
bits a jcene quite novel and strange : canoes piled 
up with boards and boxes, and filled with men, 
women and children, of all ranks and sizes, making 
the air resound with their cries and songs. 

At these times, as well as when they have oeca- 

gioQ to go some distance from their houses, the 

infants are usually suspended across the mother's 

shoulders, in a kind of cradle or hammock, formed 

K 'Z 



lOi 

of bark, of aboat six inches in depth, and of the 
length of the child, by means of a leather baud 
inserted through loops on its edges; this they also., 
lieep thorn in vviien at home, in order to preserve 
them in a straight position, and prevent any dis- 
tortion of the limbs, most probably a principal 
cause of these p^eople being so seldom deformed or 
crcclved. 

The long boat of our ship having been repaired 
and famished with a sail. by Thompson, Maquina 
gHve us the direction of it, we being better ac- 
qudinitd with managing it than his people, and 
alter leading her as deep as she could swim, we pro- 
ceeded in company with them to the Norlh, quitting 
Nootka with heavy hearts, as we could entertain 
no hopes of release until our return, no ah'rpa 
ever coming to that pari of the coast. Passing Coop- 
tee, which is situated on the southern bank, just 
within the mouth of a small river flowing from 
the east in a narrow valley at the foot of a mountain, 
we proceeded about fifteen miles up this stream to 
Ta&hees, between a range of lofty hills on each side, 
which extend a great distance inland, and are 
covered with the finest forest trees of the country. 
Immediately on our arrival, we all went to work 
very diligently in covering the houses with the 
planks we had brought, the frames being ready 
erected, these people never pretending to remove 
the timber. In a very sliort time the work was 



105 

completed, and we were established iu our new 
residence. 

Tashees is pleasantly situated and in a most se- 
cure position from the winter storms, in a small 
vale or hollow on the south shore, at the foot of a 
mountain. The spot on which it stands is level, 
and the soil very fine, the country in its vicinity 
abounding with the most romantic views, charm- 
ingly diversified, and fine streams of water falling 
ia beautiful cascades from the mountains. The 
river at this place is about twenty rods in width, 
and, in its deepest part, from nine to twelve feet. 
This village is the extreme point of navigation, as 
immediately beyond, the river becomes much more 
shallow, and is broken into falls and rapids. The 
houses here are placed in a line like those at Noot- 
ka, but closer together, the situation being more 
confined, they are also smaller, in consequence of 
which, we were much crowded, aad incommoded 
for room. 

The principal object in coming to this place, is 
the facility it affords these people of providing their 
winter stock of provisions, which consists princi- 
pally of salmon, and the spawn of that fish; to 
which may be added herrings and sprats, and herring 
spawn. The latter, however, is always procured 
by them at Nootka, previous to their quitting it. 
At the seasons of spawning, which are early ia, 
K 3 



106 

spring and the last of August* they collect a great 
quantity of pine branches, which they p'ace in dif- 
ferent parts of the Cove at the depth of about ten 
feet, and secure them by means of heavy stones. 
On these the herring deposit their spawn in im* 
niense quantities ; the bushes are then taken up, 
the spawn stripped from the branches, and after 
being washed and freed from the pine leaves by the 
women, is dried and put up in baskets for use. It 
is considered as their greatest delicacy, and eaten 
both cooked and raw : in the former case, being 
boiled and eaten with train oil, and in the latter, 
mixed up with cold water alone. 

The salmon are taken at Tashees, principally in 
pots or wears. Their method of taking thera in 
wears is thus : — A pot of twenty feet in length, 
and from four to five feet diameter at the mouth, is 
formed of a great number of pine splinters which 
are strongly secured, an inch and a half from each 
other, by means of hoops made of flexible twigs, 
and placed abought eight inches apart. At the end 
it tapers almost to a point, near which is a small 
wicker door, for the purpose of taking out the fish. 
This pot or wear is placed at the foot of a fall or 
rapid, whare the water is not very deep, and the 
fish driven from above with long poles, are intercep- 
ted and caught in the wear, from whence they are 
taken into the canoes. In this manner I have seen 
more thaa eeveu bandred salmon caught in tho 



107 

space of fifteen minutes. I have also sometime* 
kaowD a few of the striped bass takea iu this mac- 
ner, bat rarely. 

At such times there is great feasting and merriment 
among them. The women and female slaves being 
busily employed in cookinj^, or in curing the fish for 
their winter stock, which is done by catting off the 
heads and tails splitting them, taking out the back 
bone, and hanging them up in their houses to dry. 
They also dry the halibut and cod, but these in* 
stead of curing whole, they cut up into small 
pieces for that purpose, and expose to the sun. 
The spawn of the salmon, which is a principal 
article of their provision, they take out, and with- 
out any other preparation, throw it into their tubs, 
where they leave it to stand and ferment, for 
though they frequently eat it Iresh, they esteem it 
much more when it has acquired a strong taste, and 
one of the greatest favours they can confer on any 
peiaon, is to- invite him to eat Quakamiss. the 
name they give this food, though scarcely any 
thing can be more repugnant to an European palate, 
than it is in this state; and whenever they took it 
out of these large receptacles, which they are 
always careful to fill, such was the stench which it 
exhaled, oa being moved, that it was almost impos- 
sible for me to abide it, even after habit, had in a 
great degree dulled the delicacy of my sensesx — 
\^'ilen boiled it became less offensive, though it 



108 

3tili retained much of the putrid smeli and some- 
thing of the taste. 

Such is the immense quantity of these fish, and 
they are taiien with such facility, that I have 
known upward^s of twenty-five hundred brought into 
Maquina's house at once, and at one of their great 
feasts, have seen one hundred or more cooked in 
one of their largest tubs. 

I used frequently to go out with Maquina upoo 
these fishing parties, and was always sure to re- 
ceive a handsome present of salmon, which I had 
the privilege of calling mine; I also went with him 
several times in a canoe, to strike the salmon, 
which I have attempted to do myself, but could 
jaever succeed, it requiring a degree of adroitness 
that I did not possess. I was also permitted to go 
out with a gun, and was several times very suc- 
cessful in shooting wild ducks and teal, which are 
very numerous here, though rather shy. These 
they cooked in their usual manner, by boiling, 
without any farther dressing than skinning them. 

In many respects, however, our situation was 
less pleasant here than at Nootka. We were 
more incommoded for roona, the houses not being 
80 spacious, nor so v;eil arranged, and as it was 
colder, we were compelled to be much more within 
doors. We, however, did not neglect on Sundays, 



109 

when the weather would admit, to retire into the 
woods, and by the side of some stream, after bath- 
ing, return our thanks to God for preserving us, 
and* offer up to him our cdstomary (jcvotioas, 

1 was, however, very apprehensive, soon after 
our arrival at this place, that I should be deprived 
of the satisfaction of keeping my journal, as Ma- 
quiiia one day observing me writing inquired of 
me whit I was doing, and when I endeavoured 
to explain it, by telling him that I was keeping aa 
account of the weather, he said it vas not so, and 
that I was speaking bad about him, and telling 
how he had taken our ship and killed the crew, so 
aa to inform my countrymen, and that if he ever 
&B.W xne writiog in it again, he would throw it 
into the fire. I was much rejoiced that he did 
no more than threaten, and became very cautious 
afterwards not to let him see me write. 

Not long after I finished some daggers for bim, 
which I polished highly ; these pleased him much, 
and he gave me directions to make a cheetoolth, ia 
which I succeeded so far to his satisfaction, that he 
gave me a present of cloth sufficient to make me a 
complete suit of raiment, besides otiier things. 
Thompson, also, who had become rather more of a 
favourite than formerly since he had made a fine 
sail for his canoe, and some garments for him out 
^ gj Ituropean cloth, auotil this time compieteu au.> 



110 

olher, which was thought by the savages a most 
superb dress. This was a Kootsuk or mantle, ^ 
fathom square, made entirely of European vest 
patterns of the gayest colours. These were sewed 
together, in a manner to make the best show, and 
bound with a deep trimming of the finest otter- 
skin, with which the arm-hoicv^ were also bordered; 
while the bottom was farther embellished with five 
or 8*/x rows of gilt buttons, placed as near as possi- 
ble to each other. Nothing could exceed the pride 
of Maqaina when he first put oa this royal robe, 
decorated like«the coat of Joseph, with all the 
colours of the rainbow, and glittering with the 
buttons, which as he strutted about made a tink- 
ling, while he repeatedly exclaimed, in a transport 
of exultation, Klezo shish Katsuk — wick kum atack 
Nootka. A fine garment — Nootka can't make 
them. 

Alaqoina, who knew that i\^e chiefs of the tribes 
who came to visit us, had endeavoured to per- 
suade me \o escape, frequently cautioned me not 
to listen to them, saying that should I make the 
attempt, and- he were to take me, he should cer- 
tainly put me to death. While here he gave me a 
book in which I faund the names of seven persons 
belonging to the ship Manchester, of Philadelphia, 
Captain Brian, viz.r— Daniel Smith, Lewis Gillon, 
James Tom, Clark, Johnson. Ben and Jack These 
men. as Maquina informed me, ran away from the 



Hi 

ship, and came to hira, but that six of theni s&ou 
after went off in the ni^ht, with an intention to j^o 
to the Wickinninish, but were stopped by the E?h- 
quiates, and sent bacii to him, and tliat he oi-dered 
them to be put to death ; and a most cruel death 
it was, as I was told by one of the natives, four 
men holding one of them on the ground, and forcing 
open his mouth, while they choaked him by ram- 
ming stones down his throat. 

As to Jack, the boy, who made no attempt to go 
off, Maquina afterwards sold him to the Wickin- 
ninish. I was informed by the princess Tuqua, 
that he was quite a small boy, who cried a great 
deal, being put to hard labour beyond his strength 
by the natives, in cutting wood and bringing water, 
and that when he heard of the murder of our crew, 
it had such an effect on him, that he fell sick and 
died shortly after. On learning the melancholy 
fate of this unforturate lad, it again awakened in my 
bosom those feelings that I had experienced at the 
shocking death of my poor comrades. 

The king finding that I was desirous of learning 
their language, was much delighted, and took 
great pleasure in conversing with me. On one of 
these occasions, he explained to me his reasons for 
cutting off our ship, saying that he bore no ill will 
to my countrymen, but that he had been several 
times treated very ill by them. The first injury of 



112 

wWcli he had cause to complain, was done him by 
A Captain Tawnington, who commanded a schooner 
which passed a winter at Friendly Cove, where he 
was well treated by the inhabitants. This man 
taking advantage of Maquina's absence, who had 
jgone to the Wickinninish to procure a wife, armed 
himself and crew, and entered the house where there 
were none but women, whom he threw into the 
greatest consternation, and searching the chests, 
took away all the skins, of which Maquina had 
no less than forty of the best; and that about the 
same time, four of their chiefs were barbarously 
killed by a Captain Martinez, a Spaniard. 

That goon after Captain Hanna, of the Sea-Otter 
in consequence of one of the natives having stolen a 
chisel from the carpenter, fired upon their caooes 
which were along side, and killed upwards of 
twenty of the natives, of whom several were Tijee^ 
or chiefs, and that he himself being on board the 
vessel, in order to escape was obliged to leap from 
the quarter deck, and swiifi for a long way under 
water. 

These injuries had excited in the breast of ?»Ia- 
quina, an ardent desire of revenge; the strongest 
passion of the savage heart, and thDugh many 
years had elapsed since their comu.ission, still they 
were not forgotten, and the want of a favourable 
opportunity alone prevented him from sooner aveng- 



113 

ing them. Unfortunately ior as, the long wished 
for opportunity at length presented itself in our ship, 
which Maquina finding not guarded with the usual 
vigilance of the North West Traders, and feeling 
his desire of revenge rekindled by the insult offered 
him by Captain Salter, formed a plan for attack- 
ing, and on his return, called a council of his chiefs, 
and communicated it to them, acquainting them 
with the manner in which he had been treated. 
No less desirous of avenging this affront offered 
their king, than their former injuries, they readily 
agreed to his proposal, which was to go on board 
without arms as usual, but under different pretexts, 
in great numbers, and wait for his signal for the 
moment of attacking their unsuspecting victims. 
The execution of this scheme, as the reader knows, 
was unhappily too successful. 

And here I cannot but indulge a reflection that 
has frequently occurred to me on the manner in 
which otfr |ifeople behave towards the natives. For 
though they are a theiviah race, yet I have 
na doubt that many of the melancholy disasters 
have principally arisen from the imprudent conduct 
of some of the captains and crews of the ships em- 
ployed in this trade, in exasperating them by in- 
sulting, plundering, and even killing them on 
slight grounds.' This, as nothing is more s^^cred 
with a savage than the principle of revenge, and no 
L 



114 

people are so impati^^nt under insult, induces them 
to wreak their vengeance upon the first vessel or 
boat's crew that offers, making the innocent too 
frequently suffer for the wrongs of the guilty, as few . 
of them know how to discriminate between persons 
of the same general appearance, more especially 
when speaking the same language. And to this 
cause do I believe, must principally be ascribed the 
sanguinary disposition with which these people are 
reproached, as Maquina repeatedly told me that it 
was not his wish to hurt a white man, and that he 
never should have done it, though ever so much in 
his power, had they not injured him. 

And v/ere the commanders of our ships to treat 
the savages with rather more civility than they 
sometimes do, I am inclined to think they would 
find their account in it ; not that I should recom- 
inend to them a confidence in the good faith and 
friendly professions of these people, so as in any 
.degree to remit their vigilance, but on the contrary, 
to be strictly on their gaard, and suffer but a very 
few of ihem to come on board the ship, and aditit 
sot many of their canoes along side at a time; a 
precaution that would have been the means of pre- 
venting some of the unfortunate events that have 
occurred, and if attended to, may in future, pre- 
serve many a valuable life. Such a regulation too, 
from what I know of their disposition and wants, 
would produce qo serious diflSculty is tradiifjg with 



115 

the savages, and they would soon beco«e perfectly 
reconciled to it. 

Among the provisions which the Indians procure 
at Tashees, I must not omit mentioning a fruit that 
is very important, as forming a great article of their 
food. This is what is called by them the Yama^ a 
i^pecies of berry that grows in bunches like currants, 
upon a bush from two to three feet high, with a 
la rge^ round and smooth leaf. This berry is black 
and about the size of a pistol shot, but of rather an 
oblong shape, and open at the top like the blue 
whortle berry. The taste is sweet, but a little 
acrid, ftsd when first gathered, if eaten in any great 
quantity, especially without oil, is apt to produce 
cholics. To procure it, large companies of women 
go out on the mountains, accompanied by armed 
men, to protect thera against wild beasts, where 
they frequently remain for several days, kindling a 
fire at night, and sheltering themselves under sheds 
constructed of boughs. At these parties, they 
collect great quantities. I have known Maquiua's 
queen and her women return loaded, bringing with 
them upwards of twelve bushels. In order to pre* 
serve it, it is pressed in the bunches between two 
planks, and dried and put away in baskets for use. 
It is always eaten wilh oil. 

Of berries of various kinds, such as straw ber- 
ries, raspberries, black berries, &c. there are great 
L 2 

1 



lie 

qnantities in the country, of which the natives ape 
very fond, gathering them io their seasons and eaU 
ingthem with oil, bat the yaina is the only one 
that they preaerve. 

Fish is, however, their great article of food, as 
almost all the others, excepting the yama, may be 
considered as accidental. They nevertheless are 
far from disrelishing meat, for instance, venison 
and bear's flesh. With regard to the latter, they 
have a most siagular custom, which is, that any 
one who eats of it is obliged to abstain from eating 
any kind of flesh fish whatever, for the term of 
two months, as they have a superstitious belief, 
that shorJd any of their people after tasting bear's 
flesh, eat of fresh salmon, cod, Ac. the fish, 
though at ever so great a distance off, would come 
to the knowledge of it, and be so much offended 
thereat, as not to allow themselves to be taken by 
any of the inhabitants. This I had an opportunity 
of observing while at Tashees, a bear having been 
killed early in December, of which not more than 
ten of the natives would eat, being prevented by 
the prohibilioa annexed to it, which also was the 
reason of my comrade and myself not tasting it, 
on being told by Maquina the consequences. 

As there is something quite curious in their ma- 
nagement of this animal, when they have killed 
one, I shall give a description of it. Aftor wdl 



117 

cleansing the bear from the dirt and blood, with 
which it is generally covered when killed, it is 
brought in and seated opposite the king ia an 
upright posture, with a chief's bonnet, wrought 
in figures on its head, and its fur powdered over 
with the white down. A tray of provision is 
then set before it, and it is invited by words and 
gestures to eat. This mock ceremony over, the 
reason of which I could never learn, the animal is 
taken and skinned, and the flesh and entrails boiled 
up into a soup, no (fart, but the paunch beiug re- 
jected. 

This dressing the bear, as they call it, is an oc- 
casion of great rejoicing throughout the village, all 
the inhabitants being invited to a great feast at the 
king's house, though but few of them, in conse- 
quence of the penalty, will venture to eat of the 
flesh, but generally content themselves with tlieir 
favourite dish of iierring spawn and water. The 
feast on this occasion was closed by a dance firora 
Sat-sai-sak'Sis, in the manner I have already de- 
scribed, in the course of which he repeatedly shifted 
his mask for another of a difl'erent form. 

A few days after a second bear was taken, like 
the former by means of a trap. This I had the cu- 
riosity to go aud see at the place where it was 
caught, which was in the following manner. On 
the edge of a small stream of water iu the mounr. 
I. 3 



118 

tains, which the salmon ascend, and near the spot 
where the bear is accustomed to watch for them, 
which is known by its track, a trap or box about 
the height of a man's head is built of posts and 
planks with a fiat top, on which are laid a number 
of large stones or rocks. The top and sides are 
then carefully covered with furf, so as to resemble 
a little mound, and wholly to exclude the light, a 
narrow entrance of the height of the building only 
being left, just sufficient to admit the head and 
shoulders of the beast. On the inside, to a large 
plank that covers the top, is suspended by a strong 
cord a salmon, the plank being left loose so that a 
forcible pull will briag it down. On coming to Us. 
usual haunt, the bear enters the trap, and in en- 
deavouring to pull away the fish, brings down thd 
whole covering with its load of stones upon its 
head, and is almost always crushed to death on the 
apot, or so wounded as to be unable to escape. 

They are always careful to examine these traps 
every day, in order if a bear be caught, to bring it 
immediately, for it is not a little singular, that 
these people will eat no kind of meat that is in the' 
least tainted, or not perfectly fresh, while, on the 
contrary, it is hardly possible for fish to be in too 
putrid a state for them, and I have frequently 
known them when a whale has heen driven ashore, 
bring pieces of it home with them, in a state of 
ollensiveaess insupportable to any thing but a crow. 



119 

and devour U witli high pelisb, eoDfiideriog it as pre- 
feraUle to that which is fregh. 

On the morniDj of the ISib of Deceaiber, com- 
nveticed what to us appeared a most singular farce. 
Apparently without any previous notice, Maquina 
discharged a pistol close to bis son's ear, who im- 
mediately fell down as if killed, upon which all the 
women of the house set up a most lamentable cry, 
tearing bandfals of hair from their heads, and ex- 
claiming that the prince was dead, at the same 
time a great number of the inhabitants, rushed into 
the house armed with their daggers, muskets, &c. 
enquiring the cause of their outcry, these were im- 
mediately followed by two others dressed in wolf 
skins, with masks over their faces representing the 
head of that animal; the latter came in on their 
hands and feet in the manner of a beast, and takina' 
up the prince carried him off upon their backs, re- 
tiring in the same manner they entered. We saw 
nothing more of the ceremony, as Maquina came 
to us, and giving us a quantity of dried provision^ 
ordered us to quit the house and not return to the 
village before the expiration of seven days, for 
that if we appeared within that period, he should 
kill us. 

At any other season of the year such an order 
would by us have been considered as an indul- 
gence, in enabling us to pass, our time in whatever 



120 

way we wished, and even now, famished as we 
were, with sufficient provision for that term, it was 
Dot very unpleasant to us, more particalarly 
Thompson, who was always desirous to keep as 
much as possible out of the society and sight of the 
natives, whom he detested. Taking with as our 
provisions, a bundle of clothes, and oar axes, we 
obeyed the directions of Maqaina, and withdrew 
into the woods, where we boilt oarselves a cabin 
to shelter us, with the branches of trees, and keep- 
ing up a good fire, seeared ourselves pretty well 
from the cold. Here we passed the prescribed pe- 
riod of our exile, with more content than much of 
the time while with them, employing the day in 
reading and praying for our release, or in rambling 
around and exploring the country, the soil of which 
we found to be very good, and the face of it, beau- 
tifuHy diversified with hills and vallies, refreshed 
with the finest streams of water, and at night en- 
joyed comfortable repose upon a bed of soft leaves, 
with our garments spread over us to protect us from 
the cold. 

At the end of seven days we returned, and found 
several of the people of A-i-tiz-zart with their king 
or chief at Tashees, who had been invited by Ma- 
qaina to attend the close of this performance, which 
I now learnt was a celebration, held by them an- 
nually, in honour of their god, whom they call 
Quahootze, to return him their thanks fpr.his past, 



121 

aud itnplore his future favoca. It termiuated oii 
the 2l8t, the day after our return, with a most ex- 
traordinary exibition. Three naea, each of whom 
had two bayonets run through his sides, between 
the ribs, apparently regardless of the pain, traver- 
sed the room, backwards and forwards, singing 
war songs, and exulting in thi* display of finn- 
ness. 

On tb^ arrival of the Soth, we could not but call 
to mind, that this being Christmas, was in our 
country a day of tiie greatest festivity, when oajr 
fellow countrymen assembled in their churches, 
were celebrating the goodness of God, and the 
praises of the Saviour. What a reverse did oar 
situation offer — captives in a savage land, and 
slaves to a set of ignorant beings, unacquainted with 
religion or humanity, hardly were we permitted to 
offer up our devotions by ourselves in the woods, 
while we felt even grateful for this privilege. Thi- 
ther with the king's permission, we withdrew, and 
after reading the service appointed for the day, 
sung the hymn of the Nativity, fervently praying 
that heaven in its goodness, would permit us to 
celebrate the next festival c/f this kind in some 
Christian land. 

On our return, in order to conform as much as 
was in our power to the custom of our country, 
we were desirous of having a better snpper than 



122 

asaal. With this view we bought from one of the 
natives, some dried clams and oil, andarooteaN 
led Kleisupf which we cooked by steaming, and 
found it very palatable. This root consists of many 
fibres, of a bout six inches long, and of the size of 
a crow quill. It is svveei, of an agreeable taste, 
not unlike (he Quanoose, and it is eaten with oil. 
The plant that produces it I have never seen. 

On the 31 st, all the tribe quitted Tashees for 
Cooptee, wither they goto pass the remainder of 
the winter, and complete their fishing, taking off 
every thing with them in the «ame manner as at 
Nootka. We arrived in a few hours at Cooptee, 
whick is about fifteen miles* and immediately g«t 
about covering the houses, which was soon com- 
pleted. 

This place, which is their great herring and sprat 
fishery, stands just within the mouth of the river, 
on the same side with Tashees, in a very narrow 
valley at the foot of a high mountain. Though 
nearly as secure as Tashees from the winter 
storms, it is by no means so pleasantly situated, 
though to us it was a much more agreeable resi- 
dence, as it brought us nearer Nootka, where we 
were impatient to return, in hopes of finding some 
vessel there, or hearing of the arrival of one 
near. 



123 

The first snow that fell this season, was the day 
after our arrival, on New- Years ; a day that like 
Christmas, brought with it, paiuful recolleclioiis, 
but at the same time led us to indulge the hope of a 
more fortunate year than the last. 

Early on the morning of the T(h of January, 
Maquina took me with him in his canoe on a visit 
to Upquesta, chief of the A.-i-tiz zarts. who had 
invited him to attend an exhibition at his village, 
similar to the one with which he had been enter- 
tained at Tashees. This place is between twenty 
and thirty miles distant up the sound, and stands 
-on the banks of a small river aboui the size of that 
of Cooptee, just within its entrance, in a valley of 
much greater extent than that of Tashees; it con- 
sists of fourteen or fifteen houses, built and dispos- 
ed in the manner of those at Nootka. The tribe, 
which is considered as tributary to Maquina, 
amounts to about three hundred warriors, and the 
inhabitanis, both men and women, are among 
the be»t looking of any people on the coast. 

On our arrival we were received at the shore by 
the inhabitants, a few of whom were armed with 
muskets, which they fired, with loud shouts and 
exclamations of TFocash^ wocash. 

We were welcomed by tbe chief's messenger, or 
master of ceremonies, dressed in his best g;armeat8j 



124 

with his hair powdered with white down, and hold 
ing in his hand the cheetoolth, the badge of his 
office. This man preceded us to the thief's house, 
wliere he introduced and pointed out to us our re- 
spective seats. On entering, the visitors took of 
their hats, which they always wear on similar oc- 
casions, and Maquina his outer robes, of which he 
has several on whenever he pays a visit, and seated 
himself near the chief. 

As I was dressed in European clothes I became 
quite an object of curiosity to these people, very 
few of whom had ever ssen a white man. They 
crowded around me in numbers, taking hold of my 
clothes, examining my face, hands and feet, and 
even opening my mouth to see if I had a tongue, 
for notwithstanding I had by this time become well 
acquainted with their language, I preserved the 
strictest silence, Maquina on our first landing 
having enjoined me not to speak, until he should 
direct. 

Having undergone this examination for some 
time, Maquina at length made a sign to me to 
speak to them. On hearing me address them in 
their own language, they were greatly astonished 
and delighted, and told Maquina that they now 
perceived that I was a man like themselves, except 
that I was white and looked like a seal, alluding to 
Boy blue jacket and trowsers, which they wanted 



125 

to persuade me to take off, as they did not like 
their appearance. Maquina io the mean time gave 
an account to the chief,^of the scheme he had form- 
ed for surprising our ship, and the manner in which 
he and his people had carried it into execution, 
with such particular and horrid details of that tran- 
saction as chilled the blood in my veins. Trays of 
boiled herring spawn and train oil were soon after 
brought in and placed before as, neither the chief 
or any of his people eating at the same time, it 
being contrary to the ideas of hospitality enter- 
tained by these nation?, to eat any part of the food 
that is provided for strangers, always waiting un- 
til their visitors have finished, before they have 
their own brought in. 

The following day closed their festival with an 
exhibition of asimilar'*kind, to that which had been 
given at Tashees, but still more cruel; the diffe- 
rent tribes appearing on these occasions to endea- 
vour to surpass each other in their proofs of forti- 
tude and endurance of pain. In the morning twenty 
men entered the chief's house, with each an arrow 
run through the flesh of his sides, and either arm, 
with a cord fastened to the end, which as the per- 
formers advanced, singing and boasting, was for- 
cibly drawn back by a person having hold of it. 
After this performance was closed, we returned to 
Cooptee, which we reached at midnight, our men 
M 



126 

keeping iitne with their songs to the stroke of their 

paddleF. 

The natives now began to take the herring 
and sprat in immense quantities, with some s^almon, 
and there was nothing tut feasting from morning 
till night. 

The following is the method they employ to 
take the herring : A stick of about seven feet 
long) two inches broad, and half an inch thick, is 
formed from some hard wood, one side of which is 
set with sharp teeth, ma^e from whale bone, at 
about half an inch apart. Provided with this 
instrument, the fisherman seats himself in the prow 
of a canoe, which is paddled by another, and 
whenever he comes to a shoal of herrings, which 
cover the water in great quantities, he strikes it 
with both hands upon them, and at the same mo- 
ment turning it up, brings it over the side of the 
canoe, into which he lets those that are taken drop. 
It is astonishing to see how many are caught by 
those who are dexterous at this kind of fishing, as 
they seldom fail when the shaols are numerous, of 
taking as many as ten or twelve at a stroke, and 
in a very short time will fill a canoe with them. 
Sprats are likewise caught in a similar manner. 

About the beginning of February, Maquina 
gave a great feast, at which^were present not only 



127 

all the inhabitants, but one hundred persona from 
A-i-tiz-zart, and a number from VVickinninish, 
who had been invited to attend it. It is customary 
with them to give an annual entertainment of this 
kind, and it is astonishing to see what a quan- 
tity of provision is expended, or rather wasted 
on such an occasion, when they alwayg eat to the 
greatest excess. It was at this feast that I saw 
upwards of an hundred salmon cooked in one tub. 
The whole residence at Cooptee presents an almost 
uninterrupted succession of feasting and gorman- 
dizing, and it would seem as if the principal object 
of these people was to consume their whole stock 
of provision before leaving it, trusting entirely to 
their success in fishing and whaling, for a supply 
at Nootka. 

On the 25th of February, we quitted Cooptee, 
and returned to Nootka. With much joy did 
Thompson and myself again find ourselves in a 
flace where, notwithstanding the melancholy re- 
collections which it excited, we hoped before long 
io see some vessel arrive to our relief, and for this 
Ave became the more solicitous, as of late we had 
become much more apprehensive of our safety, in 
consequence of information brought Maquina a 
few days before we left Cooptee, by some of the 
Cayuquets, that there were twenty ships at the 
northward, preparing to come against him, with 
M 2 



128 

an intent of desiroyiag him and his whole tribe, 
for cutting off the Boston. 

Thia story, which was wholly without founda- 
tion, and discovered afterwards to have been in- 
vented by these people, for the purpose of dis- 
quieting him, threw him into great alarm, and 
notwithstanding all I could say to convince him 
that it was an unfounded report, so great was his 
jealc,asy of us, especially after it had been con- 
firmed to him by some others of the same nation, 
that he treated us with much harshness, and kept 
a very suspicious eye upon us. Nothing indeed 
could be more unpleasant than our present situa- 
tion, when I reflected that our lives were altogether 
dependent on the will of a savage, on whose ca- 
price and suspicions no rational calculation could 
be mad«. 

Not loBg after our return, a son of Maquina'a 
sister, a boy of eleven years old, who had been 
for some time declining, died. Immediately on 
his death, which was about midnight, all the men 
and women in the house set up loud cries and 
shrieks, which awakening Thompson and myself, 
so disturbed us that we left the house. This 
lamentation was kept up during the remainder of 
the night. In the morning, a great fire was kindled, 
in which Maquina burned in honour of the deceased, 
ten fathoms of cloth, and buried with him tea 



129 

fathoms more, eight of I-\vha\v, four prime sea" 
otter sking^ and tv70 small trunks, containing our 
unfortunate captain's clothes and watch. 

This boy was considered as a Tyee or chief, 
being the only son of Tootooschj one of their prin- 
cipal chiefs, who had married Maquina's sister, 
whence arose this ceremony on his interment •, it 
being an established custom with these people, 
that whenever a chief dies, his most valuable pro- 
perty is burned or buried with him; it is, however, 
wholly confined to the chiefs, and aippears to be a 
mark of honour appropriate to them. In this in- 
stance Maquina furnished the articles, in order that 
his nephew might have the proper honours ren- 
dered him. 

Tootooch, his father, was esteemed the first war* 
rior of the tribe, and was one who had been parti- 
cularly active in the destruction of our ship, having 
killed two of our poor comrades, who were ashore/ 
whose names were Hall and Wood. About the 
time of our removal to Tashees, while in the enjoy- 
ment of the highest health, he was suddenly seized 
with a fit of delirium, in which he fancied that he 
saw the ghosts of those two men constantly stand- 
ing by him, and threatening him, so that he would 
take no food, except what was forced iuio his 
mouth. A short time before this he had lost a 
daughter of abo«t fifteen years of nge, which 
M 3 



130 

aSEiicted him greatly, and whether his insanity, a 
disorder very uncommon amongst these savages, 
DO instance of the kind having occurred within the 
memory of the oldest man amongst them, proceeded 
from this cause, or that it was the special interpo- 
sition of an all-merciful God in oar favour, who 
by this means thought proper to induce these bar- 
barians still further to respect our lives, of that 
for hidden purposes, the Supreme Disposer of 
events sometimes permits the spirits of the dead to 
revisit the world, and hauut the murderer, I know 
not, but his mind from this period, until his death, 
which took place but a few weeks after that of his 
son, was incessantly occupied with the images of 
the men whom he had killed. 

This circumstance made much impression upon 
the tribe, particularly the chiefs, whose uniform 
opposition to putting us to death, at the various 
councils that were held on our account, I could 
not but in part attribute to this cause, and Ma- 
quina^ used frequently in speaking of Tootoosch's 
sickness, to express much satisfaction that hi-s hand« 
had not been stained with the blood of any of our 
men. 

When Maquina was ffrst informed by his sister, 
of the strange conduct of her husband, he imme- 
diately went to his house, taking us with him; 
suspecting that his disease had been eaused by u», 



131 

and that the ghosts of onr countrymen had been 
called tMlher by as, to torment hirn. We found 
him raving about Hall and Wood, saying that they 
were peshaky that is, bad. Maquina then placed 
gome provision before him, to see if he would eat. 
On perceiving it, he pat forth his hand to take 
some, bat instantly withdrew it with signs of 
horror, saying that Hall and Wood were there, 
and would not let him eat. IMaquioa then pointing 
to us, asked if it was not John and Thompson 
who troubled him. fVikj he replied, that is, no, 
John klushish — TJiompson klushish — John and 
Thompson are both good; t>.ea turning to me, 
and patting me on the shoulder, he made signs to 
me to eat. I tried to persuade him that Hall and 
Wood were not there, and that none were near him 
but ourselves : he said, I know very well you do 
not see them, but £ do. 

At first Maquina endeavoured to convince him 
that he saw nothing, and to laugh him out of his 
belief, but finding that all was to no purpose, he 
at length became serious, and asked me if 1 had 
ever seen any one affected in this manner, and 
ivhat was the matter with him. I gave him to 
understand, pointing to his head, that his braia 
was injured, and that he did not see things as for- 
merly. 

Being convinced by Tootoosch's conduct, that 



132 

we liaJ no agency in his indispositioo, od our re- 
turn home, Maquina asked me what wfts done in 
my coantry in similar cases. I told him that such 
persons were closely confined, and sometimes tied 
up and whipped, in order to make them better. 
After pondering for some time, he said that he 
should be glad to do any thing to relieve him, and 
that he should be whipped, and immediately gave 
orders to some, of his men to go to Tootoosch's 
house, bind him, and bring him to his, in order 
to undergo the operation. Thompson was the per- 
son selected to administer this remedy, which he 
undertook very readily, and for that purpose pro- 
vided himself with a good number of spruce 
branches, with which he whipped him most severe- 
ly, laying it on with the best will imaginable, 
while Tootoosch displayed the greatest rage, kick- 
ing, spitting, and attempting to bite all who came 
near him. This was too much for Maquina, who, 
at lengh, unable to eiodure it longer, ordered 
Thompson to desist, and Tootoosch to be carried 
back, saying that if there was no other way of 
curing him but by whipping, he must remain 
mad. 

The application of the whip produced no bene- 
ficial effect on Tootoosch, for he afterwards be- 
came still more deranged; in his fits of fury some- 
times seizing a club, and beating his slaves in a 
most dreadful manner, and striking and spitting 



133 

at all who came near him, till at length hia wii'e> 
no longer daring to remain in the house with him, 
came with her son to Maquina's. 

The whalmg season now commenced, and Ma- 
quina was out almost every day in his canoe, in 
pursuit of them, hut for a considerable time, with 
no success, one day breaking the staff of his har- 
poon, another, after having been a long time fast 
to a whale, the weapon drawing, owing to the 
breaking of the shell, which formed its point, with 
several such like accidents, arising from the imper- 
fection of the instrument. At these times he always 
returned very morose and out of temper, up- 
braiding his men with having violated their obliga- 
tion to continence preparatory to whaling. In this 
state of ill humour ho would give us very little to 
eat, which added to the women not cooking whea 
■the men are ^way, reduced us to a very low 
fare. 

Jn consequence of the. repeated occurrence of 
similar accidents, I proposed to^ Maquina to make 
him a harpoon or foreganger of steel, which would 
be less liable to fail him. The idea pleased him, 
and in a short time I completed one for him, with 
which he was much delighted, and the very next 
day went out to make a trial of it. He succeeded 
with it in taking a whale. Great was the joy 
throughout (he village, as soon as it was knowm 



134 

that the kiag had secured the whale, by notice from 
a person stationed at the head-land in the offing. 
Ail the canoes were immediately lannched, and, 
furnished with harpoons and seal-skin floats, has- 
tened to assist in buoying it up, and towiug it in. 

The bringing in of this fish exhibited a scene of 
universal festivity. As soon as the canoes appeared 
at the month of the Cove, those on board of them 
singing a triumph to a slow air, to which they kept 
time with their paddles, all who were on shore, 
men, women and children, mounted the roofs of 
their houses, to congratulate the king on his suc- 
cess, drumming most furiously on the planks, and 
exclaimiag IVocash — wocash Tyee. 

The whale on being drawn on shore, was imme- 
diately cut up, and a great feast of the blubber 
given at Maquina's house, to which all the village 
were invited, who indemnified themselves for their 
lent, by eating as usual to excess. I was highly 
praised for the goodness of my harpoon, and a 
quantity of blubber given me. which I was permit- 
ted to cook as I pleased, this I boiled in salt water 
with some young nettles and other greens for 
Thompson and myself, and in this way we found it 
tolerable food. 

Their method of procuring the oil, is to skim it 
from the water in wnich the blubber is boiled, and 



135 

; when cool, put it up into whale bladders for use, 
! and of these I have seen them so large as, when 
! filled, would require no less (haa five or six men to 
carry. Several of the chiefs, among whom were 
Maquina^s brothers, who after the king has caught 
the first whale, are privileged to take them also, 
were very desirous, on discovering the superiority 
of my liarpoon, that I should make some for them, 
but this Maquina would not permit, reserving for 
himself this improved weapon. He however gave 
me directions to make a number more for himself 
which I executed, and also made him several 
lances, with which he was greatly pleased. 

As these people have some very singular observ- 
ances preparatory to whaling, an account of them 
}'. will, I presume, not prove uninlerestvng', especially 
as it may serve to give a better idea of their manners. 
A short time before leaving Tashees, the king makes 
a point of passing a day alone on the mountain, 
whither he goes very privately early in the morning, 
and does not return till late in the evening. This is 
done, as I afterwards learned, for the purpose of 
singipg and praying to his God for success in whal- 
ing the ensuing season. At Cooptee the seme cere- 
mony is performed, and at Nootka after the return 
thither, with still greater solemnity, as for the ne.xt 
two days he appears very thoughtful and gloomy, 
scarcely speaking to any one,, and observes a most 
rigid last. On these occasions, he has always a 



J36 

broad red fillet made of bark, bound around his 
head, in token of humiliation, vvilh a large branch 
of green gpruce on the top, and his great rattle in 
his hand. In addition to this, for a week before 
commencing their whaling, both himself and the 
crew of his canoe observe a fast, eating but very 
little, and going into the water several times in the 
course of each day (o bathe- singing and rubbing 
their bodies, limbs and faces with shells and bushes, 
80 that on their return I have see« them look as 
though they had been severely torn with briers. 
They are likewise obliged to abstain from any com- 
merce with their women for the like period, the 
latter restriction being considered as indispensible 
to their success. 

Early in June Tootoosch, the crazj chief, died. 
On being acquainted with his death the whole 
village, men, women and children, set up a loud 
cry, with every testimony of the greatest grief, 
which they continued for more than three hours. 
As soon as he was dead, the body, according to 
their custom, was laid out on a plank, having the 
head bound round with a red bark fillet, which is 
with them an emblem of mourning and sorrow. 
After laying some time in this manner, he was 
wrapped in an otter skin robe, and three fathoms 
of I-whaw being put about his neck, he wa« placed 
in a large coffin or box of about three feet deep, 
which wag ornamented on the outside with two 



137 

row'8 of the small white shells. la this, the most 
valuable articles of his property were placed with 
him, among; which were co less thaa tweuJy-foar 
prime sea otter skias. 

At night, which is their time for ialerriag the 
dead, the coffin was borne by eight men with two 
poles, thrust through ropes passed around it, to 
the place of burial, accompanied by his wife and 
family, with their hair cut short, in token of ^rief, 
all the inhabitants joining th« procession. The 
place of burial was a large cavern on the side of a 
hill at a little distance from the village, in which, 
after depositing the coffin carefully, all the at- 
tendants repaired to Waquina's house,, where a 
cumber of articles belonging to the deceased, con- 
sisting of blankets, pieces of cloth, &c. w ere burned 
by a porsoii appointed by Maquina for thai purpose, 
dressed and painted in the highest style, with his 
head covered with white do.»D, who, as he puts 
in the several pieces, one by one, poured upon 
them a quantity of oil to increase the fiame, in the 
intervals between, making a speech and playing off 
a variety of buffoon tricks, and the w hole closed 
with a feast, and a dance from Sat-sat-sak-fiis, the 
king's son. 

The man who performed the cereniony of burning 
on this occasion, was a vc^ry siugular character, 
Hrimed Kinncdinmots. lie w as held in h;g!i esti- 

N 



138 

matioa by the kiag, though only of the commoD 
class, proba1)ly from his taleat for mimicry and baf- 
foonry, and might be considered as a kind of king's 
jester, or rather as combining in his person the 
character of a buffoon with that of master of cere- 
monies and public orator to his majesty, as he was 
the one who at feasts always regulated the places 
of the guests, delivered speeches on receiving or 
returning visits, besides amasing the company at 
all their entertainments, with a variety of monkey 
pranks and antic gestures, which appeared to these 
savages the height of wit and humour, but would 
be considered as extremely low by the least polished 
people. Almost all the kings or head chiefs of the 
principal tribes were accompanied by a similar 
character, who appeared to be attached to their 
dignity, and are called in their language, Climmer- 
habbee. 

This man, Kinneclimmets, was particularly 
odious to Thompson, who would never join in the 
laugh at his tricks, but when he began, would al- 
most always quit the House with a very surly 
look, and an exclamation of cursed fooll which 
Maquina, who thought nothing could equal the 
cleverness of his Climmer -Jiabbee, used to remark, 
with much dissatisfaction, asking me why Thomp- 
800 never laughed, observing that I must have had 
a very good-tempered woman indeed for my mother, 
as my father was so very ill-natured a man. 



139 

Amoog those performances that gained him the 
greatest applause, was his talent of eating to ex- 
cess, for I have known him devour at one meal, 
no less than seventy-five large herrings; and at 
another time, when a great feast was given by 
Maquina, he undertook, after drinking three pints 
of oil by way of a whet, to eat four dried salmon, 
and five quarts of spawn, naixed np with a gallon of 
train oil, and actually succeeded in swallowing the 
greater part of this mess, until his stomach became 
so overloaded, as to discharge its contents in the 
dish. One of his exhibitions, however, had nearly 
cost him his life; this was on the occasion of Kla- 
quak-ee-na^ one of the chiefs, having bought him a 
new wife, in celebration of which he ran three 
times through a large fire, and burned himself in 
such a manner, that he was not able to stir for 
more than four weeks. These feats of savage 
skill were much praised by Maquina, who never 
filled to make him presents of cloth, muskets, &c. 
on such occasions. 

The death of Tootoosch increased still more the 
disquietude which his delirium had excited among 
the savages, and all those chiefs who had killed 
our men, became much alarmed, lest they should 
be seized with the same disorder, and die like him; 
more particularly, as I had told Maquina, that 
I believed his insanity was a punishment inflicted 



140 

on him by Quahooize^ for his cruelty in murderiug 
two iDoocent niea, who had Deveriojured hira. 

Oursitctafion had now become unpleasant in l!.e 
extreme. The summer was so far advanced, that 
we nearly despaired of a ship arriving to our relief, 
and with that expectation, almost relinquished the 
hope of ever having it in our power to quit this 
savage land. We were treated too with less in- 
dulgence than before, both Thompson and myself 
being obliged, in addition to our other employ- 
ments, to perform the laborious task of cutting and 
collecting fuel, which we had to bring on our 
•boulders from nearly three miles distance, as it 
consisted wholly of dry trees, all of which, near 
the village, had been consumed. 

To add to this, we suffered much abuse from the 
common people, who, when Maquina or some of 
the chiefs were not present, would insult us, calling 
U8 wretched glaves, asking us where was our Tyee 
or captain, making gestures sigoiiying that his head 
had been cut ofiT, and that (hey would do the Uk^ 
to us; though they generally took good care nt 
guch times to keep well osit of Thompson's reach, 
as they had more than once experienced, to their 
cost, the strength of his fist. This conduct was not 
only provoking aod grating to our feGiings in the 
highest degree, but it convinced us of ths ill dispr,- 



141 

sitioa of these savages towards as, and rendered us 
fearful lest they might at some time or other per- 
suade or force Maquijaa and the chiefs to put us to 
death. 

We were also often brought to great distress for 
the want of provisions, so far as to be reduced to 
collect a scanty supply of muscles and limpets 
from the rocks, and sometimes even compelled to 
part with some of our most necessary articles of 
clothing, in order to purchase food for our sub- 
sistence. This was, however, principally owing to 
the inhabitants themselves experiencing a great 
scarcity of provisions this season; there having 
been, in the first place, but very few salmon caught 
at Friendly Cove, a most unusual circumstance, 
as they generally abound there in the spring, which- 
was by the natives attributed to their having been 
driven away by the blood of our men, who had 
been thrown into the sea, which with true savage 
inconsistency, excited their murmurs against Ma- 
quiua, who had proposed cutting off our ship. Re- 
lying on this supply, they had in the most incon- 
siderate manner, squandered away their winter 
stock of provisions, so that in a few days after 
their return, it was entirely expended. 

Nor were the king and chiefs much more fortu- 
nate in their whaling, even after I had furnished 
Maquina with the improved weapon for that pnr-. 
N 3 



142 

pose; bat four whales havinfr been taken during 
the season, which closes the last of May, including 
one that had been struck by Maquina and escaped, 
and was afterwards driven on shore about six miles 
from Nootka, in almost a state of putridity. These 
afforded but a short supply to a population, includ- 
injj all ages and sexes, of no less than fifteen hun- 
dred persons, and of a character so very improvi- 
dent, that after feasting most gluttonously whenever 
a whale was caught, they were several times for a 
week together, reduced to the necessity of eating 
but once a day, and of collecting cockles and mus- 
cles from the rocks for their food. 

And even afteT the cod and halibut fishing com- 
menced, in June, in which they met with tolerable 
'success, such was the savage caprice of Maquina, 
that he would often give us but little to eat, finally 
ordering us to buy a canoe and fishing implements, 
and go out ourselves and fish, or we should have 
nothing. To do this, we were compelled to part 
with our great coats, which were not only import- 
ant to us as garments, but of which we made our 
beds, spreading them under as when we slept. 
From our want of skill, however, in this new em- 
ploy, we met with no success; on discovering 
which, Maquina ordered us to remain at home. 

Another thing, which to me in particular, proved 
an almost constant source of vexation and disgust, 
end which living among them had not in the least 



143 

reconciled me to, was their extreme filtbiness, not 
only in eating fish, especially the whale, vviien in 
a state of offensive putridity, but while at their 
meals, of making a practice of taking the vermin 
from their heads or clothes, and eating them, bj 
turns thrusting their fingers into their hair, and 
into the dish, and spreading their garments over 
the tubs in which the provision was cooking, in 
order to set in motion their inhabitants. 

Fortunately for Thompson, he regarded this 
much less than myself, and when I used to point 
oat to him any instance of their fiithiness in this 
respect, he would laugh and reply, Never mind 
John, the more good things the better. I must, 
however, do Maquina the justice to state, that he 
was much neater both in his person and eating 
than were the others, as was likewise his queen, 
owing no doubt to his intercourse with foreigners, 
which had given him ideas of cleanliness, for I 
never saw either of them eat any of these animals, 
but on the contrary they appeared not much to 
relish this tast.e in others. Their garments, also, 
were much cleaner, Maquina having been accus- 
tomed to give his away when they became soiled, 
till after he discovered tiiat Thompson and myself 
kept ours clean by washing them, when he used 
t/> make Thompson do the same for him. 

Yet amidst this state of endurance and disap- 



poiatment, in heariag repeatedly of the arrival of 
ships at the north aod §outh, most of which proved 
to be idle reports, while expectation was almost 
wearied out in looking for them, we did not wholly 
despond, relying on the mercy of the Supreme 
Being, to ofier up to whom our devotions on the 
days appointed for his worship, was our chief 
consoIatioQ and support, though we were some- 
times obliged, by our task-masters, to infringe 
upon the Sabbath, which was to me a source of 
much regret. 

We were, nevertheless, treated at times with 
much kindness by Maquina, who would give us 
a plenty of the best that he had to eat, and occa- 
sionally, some small present of cloth for a garment, 
promising me, that if any ship should arrive within 
9 hundred miles of Nootka, he would send a canoe 
with a letter from me to the captain, so that be 
might come to our release. These flattering pro- 
mises and marks of attention, were, however, at 
those times when he thought himself in personal 
danger from a mutinous spirit, which the scarcity 
of provisions had excited among the natives, who, 
like true savages, imputed all their public cala- 
mities, of whatever kind, to the misconduct of 
their chief, or when be was apprehensive of an at- 
tack from some of the other tribes who were irri- 
tated with him for cutting off the Boston, as it 
had prevented ships from coming to trade with 



145 

them, and were consfaotly alarniiag him wilh idle 
stories of vessels that were preparJDg to coino 
against him, and exterminate both him and his 
people. 

At such times, he made us keep guard over him 
both night and day, armed with cutlasses and 
pistols, being apparently afraid to trust any of his 
own men. At ontf time, it .was a general revolt 
of his people that he apprehended; then three of his 
principal chiefs, among whom was his elder bro- 
ther, had conspired to take away bis life; and at 
length, he fancied that a snriall party of Klaoo- 
quates, between wjiom and the Noolkians, little 
friendship subsisted, had come to Nootka, under a 
pretence of trade, for the sole purpose of murdering 
him and his family, telling us, probably to sharpea 
our vigilance, that their intention was to kill m 
likewise; and so strongly were hia fears excited 
on this occasion, that he not only ordered us to 
keep near him armed by day, whenever he went 
out, and to patrole at night before hi^ house while 
they remained, but to coniinue the same guard for 
three days after they were gone, and (o fire at ona 
and at four in the morning, one uf the great guns to 
let them know, if, as he suspected, they were 
lurking in the neighbourhood, that he was on bis 
guard. 

While he was tha?j favourably disposed towards 



146 

us, I took aa cpportunity to inform him of the ill 
treatment that we frequently received from his 
people, and the insults that were offered us by some 
of the stranger tribes in calling us white slaves, 
and loading us with other opprobrious terms. He 
was much displeased, and said that his subjects 
should not be allowed to treat us ill, and that if any 
of the strangers did it, he wished us to punish the 
offenders with death, at the same time directing ns, 
for our security, to go constantly armed. 

This permission was soon improved by Thompson 
io the best advantage; for a few days after, having 
gone to the pond to wash some of our clothes, and 
blanket for Maquina, several Wickinninish who 
were then at Nootka, came thither, and seeing him 
washing the clothes, and the blanket spread upon 
the grass io dry, they began according to custom, 
to insult him, and one of them bolder than the 
others, walked over the blanket, Thompson was 
highly incensed, and threatened the Indian with 
death if he repeated the offence, but he, in contempt 
of the threat, trampled upon the blanket, when 
drawing his cutlass, without farther ceremony, 
Thompson cut oflf his head, on seeing which the 
others ran off at full speed; Thompson then gather- 
ing up the clothes and blanket, on which were the 
marks of the Indian's dirty feet, and taking with 
him the head, returned and informed the king of 
what had passed, who was much pleased, and highly 



147 

commended his conduct. This had a favourable 
effect for us, not only on the slranger tribrs, but 
the inhabitants themselves, who treated us after- 
wards with less disrespect. 

In the latter part of July, Maquina informed me 
that he was going to war with the A-ij.charts, a 
tribe about fifty miles to the south, on account 
of some controversy that had arisen the preceding 
summer, and that I must make a Dumber of daggers 
for his men, and cheetoolths for his chiefs, which 
having completed, he wished me to make for his 
own use a weapon of quite a different form, in order 
to dispatch his enemy by one blow on the head, it 
being the calculation of these nations on going to 
war, to surprise their adversaries whiie asleep, — 
This was a steel dagger, or more properly a spike, 
of about six inches long, made very sharp, set at 
right angles in an iron handle of fifteen inches long, 
terminating at the lower end in a crook or turn, so 
as to prevent its being wrenched from the hand, and 
at the upper, in a round knob or head, from whence 
the spike protruded. This instrument I polished 
highly, and the more to please Maquina, formed on 
the back of the knob, the resemblance of a man's 
head, with the mouth open, substituting for eyes, 
black beads, which I fastened in with red sealing wax. 
This pleased him much, and was greatly admired 
by his chiefs, who wanted me to make similar ones 



U8 

for.them, hut Maquina would not suffer it, reserr- 
iag for himself alone tins weapon. 

When these people, have finally determined on 
war, Ibey make it an invariable practice for three 
or four weeks prior to the expedition, to go into the 
water five or six times a day, when they wash and 
scrub themselves from head to foot with bushes in- 
termixed with briars, go that their bodies and faces 
will often be entirely covered with blood. During 
this severe exercise, they are continually exclaim- 
ing, " Wocash Quakootzej 7 eechamme ah uelth^ 
uik-etish tau- ilih — Kar-sab-m aiem as — J Vik-sish 
to hauk matemas — / ya-ish kah shittle — As-smoo- 
iish warich matemas ;'''' which signifies g(!od or 
great God, let me live — Not be sick — Find the 
enemy — Not fear him — Find him asleep, and kill 
a^reat many of them. 

During the whole of this period, they have no in- 
tercourse with their women, and for a week, 
before setting out, abstain from feasting or any k:cd 
of merriment, appearing thoughtful, gloomy, and 
morose, and for the three last days, are almost 
constantly In the water, both by day and night, 
scrubbing and lacerating themselves in a terrible 
manner. Maquina having iiiformed Thompson 
and myself that he gliould take us \\ith him, was 
very solicitous that he should bathe and scrub cur- 
selves in the sunie way with them, teliing me that 



149 

it would harden our skins, so that the weapons of 
the enemy would not pierce them, but as we felt 
no great inclination to amuse ourselves in this 
manner, we declined it. 

The expedition consisted of forty canoes, carrying 
from ten to twenty men each. Thompson and my- 
self armed ourselves with cutlasses and pistols, but 
the natives, although they had a plenty of Eu- 
ropean arms, took with them only their daggers 
and cheetoolths, with a few bows and arrows, the 
latter being about a yard in length, and pointed 
with copper, muscle shell, or bone: the bows are 
four feet and a half long, with strings made of 
whale sinew. 

To go to A-y-cl^rt, we ascended from twenty to 
thirty miles, a river about the size of that of 
Tashees, the banks of which are high and covered 
with wood. At midnight, we came in sight of the 
village, which was situated on the west bank, 
near the shore, on a steep hill difScult of access, 
and well calculated for defence. It consisted of 
fifteen or sixteen houses, smaller than those at NooS 
ka, and built in the same style, but compactly 
placed. By Maquioa's directions, the attack w^s 
deferred until the first appearance of dawn, as he 
said that was the time when men slept the soundest. 

At length all being ready for the atlatk, we 



150 

landed with the greatest silence, and going around 
80 as to come apoo the foe in the rear, clambered 
up the hilJ, and while the natives, as is their 
custom, entered the several huts, creeping on all 
fours, ray comrade and myself stationed ourselves 
without, to intercept those who should attempt to 
escape, or come to the aid of their friends. 1 
wished if possible, not to stain my hands in the 
blood of any fellow creature, and though Thompson 
would gladly have put to death all the savages in 
the country, be was too brave to think of attacking 
a sleeping enemy. 

Having entered the houses, on the vvar-whoop 
being given by Maquina, as he seized the head of 
the chief, and gave him the fatal blow, all pro- 
ceeded to the work of death. The A-y-charts 
being thus surprized, were unable to make resis- 
tance, and with the exception of a very few, who 
were so fortunate as to make their escape, were all 
kilUd or taken prisoners ou condition of becoming 
slaves to their captors. I had the good fortune to 
take four captives, whom Maquina, as a favor, 
permitted me to consider as mine, and occasionally 
employ them in fishing for me; as for Thompson, 
who thirsted for revenge, he had no wish to take 
any prisoners, but with his tutlass, the only 
weapon he would employ against them, succeeded 
in killing seven stout fellows, who came to attack 
bim, an act which obtained him great credit with 



151 

Maquina and the chiefs, who after this, held him 
in much higher estimation, and gave him the 
appellation of ChehieUsama-har^ it heing the name 
of a very celebrated warrior of their nation in anci- 
ent times, whose exploits were the constant theme 
of their praise. 

After having put to death all the old and infirm 
of either sex, as is the barbarous practice of these 
people, and destroyed the buildings, we re-embark- 
ed with our booty in our canoes, for Nootka, 
where we were received with great demonstra- 
tions of joy by the women and children, accompa- 
nying our war song with a most furious drumming 
on the houses. The next day a great feast was 
given by Maquina, in celebration of his victory, 
♦which was terminated as usual with a dance by 
Sat-sat-sak-sis. 

Repeated applications had been made to Maqui- 
na, by a number of kings or chiefs, to purchase 
me, especially after he had shewed them the 
harpoon I had made for him, which he took much 
pride in, but he constantly refused to part with me 
on any terms. — Among these, the king of the 
Wickinninish was particularly solicitous to obtain 
mcj having twice applied to Maquina for that 
purpose, once in a very formal manner, by sending 
his messenger with four canoes, who as he 
approached the shore, decorated in their highest 
O % 



152 

sty^e, with the white down on his head, &c. 
declared that he came to buy Tooteyoohannis^ the 
name by which 1 was known to them, for his 
master, and that he had brought for that purpose 
four young male slaves, two highly ornamented ca- 
noes, such a number of the skins of metamelth, and of 
the quartlack, or sea otter, and so many fathoms of 
cloth and of i-whaw, while as he mentioned the dif- 
ferent articles, they were pointed out or held up by 
his attendants, but even this tempting oiTer had no 
influence on Maquina ; who in the latter part of the 
summer, was again very strongly urged to sell me 
by Ulatilla, or as he is generally called Machee 
Ulatilla, chief of the Klaizzarts, who had come 
to Nootka on a visit. 

This chief, who could epeak tolerable English, 
had much more the appearance of a civilized man, 
than any of the savages that I saw. Reappeared to 
be about thirty, was rather small in his person, but 
extremely well formed, with a skin almost as fair 
as that of an European, good features, and a 
countenance expressive of candour and amiableness, 
and which was almost always brightened with a 
gmile. He was much neater both in his dress and 
person than any of the other chiefs, seldom wearing 
paint, except upon his eye-brows, v/hich after the 
custom of his country, were plucked out, and a 
few strips of the pelpelth on the lower part of his 
face. He always treated me with much kindness. 



163 

was fond of conversing with rae in English and iu 
his own language, asking me many questions 
relative to my country, its manners, customs, &c. 
and appeared to take a strong interest in my fate, 
telling me, that if he could persuade Maquina to 
part with rae, he would put me on board the first 
ship that came to his country; a promise, which 
from his subsequant conduct, I have good reason 
to think he would have performed, as my delive- 
rance at length, from captivity and suffering was, 
under the favour of divine providence, ' wholly 
owing to him, the only letter that ever reached an 
European or American vessel, out of sixteen that 
I wrote at different times, and sent to various 
parts of the coast, having been delivered by him in 
person. So much pleased was I with this man's 
behaviour to me while at Nootka, that I made for 
him a Cheetoolth, which I burnished highly, and 
engraved with figures; with this he was greatly 
delighted, I also would have made for him a 
harpoon would Maquina have consented. 

With hearts full of dejection and almost lost to 
hope, no ship having appeared off Nootka this 
season, did my companion and myself accompany 
the tribe on their removal in September, to Tashees, 
relinquishing in consequence, for six months, even 
the jemotest expectation of Telief. 

Soon after our establishment there, Maquina 
O 3 



154 

informed me, that he and his chiefs had held 
council both before and after quitting Nootka, in 
which they had determined that I must marry one 
of their women, urging as a reason to induce me 
1o consent, that as there was now no probability 
of a ship coming to Nootka to release me, that I 
must consider myself as destined to pass the 
remainder of my life with them, that the sooner I 
conformed to their customs the better, and that a 
wife and family would render me more contented 
and satisfied with their mode of living. I remon- 
strated against this decision, but to no purpose, for 
he told me that should I refuse, both Thompson 
and myself would be put to death, telling me 
however, that if there were none of the women of 
his tribe that pleased me, he would go with me to 
some of the other tribes, where he would purchase 
for me such a one as I should select. Reduced to 
this sad extremity, with death on the one side, and 
matrimony on the other, I thought proper to choose 
what appeared to me the least of the two evils, and 
consent to be married, on condition, that'as I did 
cot fancy any of the Nootka women, I should be 
permitted to make choice of one from some olher 
tribe. 

This being settled, the next morning by day light 
Maquina with about fifty men iu two canoes, set 
oat with me for A-i-tiz*zart, taking with him a 
quantity of cloth, a number of muskets, sea otter 



166 

skins, &c. for the purchase of my bride. With the 
aid of our paddles and sails, being favoured with a 
fair breeze, we arrived some time before sun set at 
the village. Our arrival excited a general alarm, 
and the men hastened to the shore, armed with the 
weapons of their country, making many warlike de- 
monstrations, and displaying much Zealand activi- 
ty. We in the m£an time remained quietly seated 
in ourcaooes, where we remained for about half an 
hour, when the messenger of the chief, dressed in 
their best manner, came to welcome us, and invite 
us on shore to eat. We followed him in procession 
to the chief's honse, Maquina at our head, taking 
care to leave a sufficient number in the boats to pro- 
tect the property. When we came to the bouse, we 
were ushered in with much ceremony, and our re- 
spective seats pointed out to us, mine being next to 
Maquina by his request. 

After having been regaled with a feast of herring 
spawn and oil, Maquina asked me if I saw any a- 
mong the women who were present that I liked, I 
immediately pointed out to a young girl of about 
seventeen, the daughter of Upquesta^ the chief, who 
was sitting near him by her mother. On this Ma- 
quina making a sign to his men, arose and taking 
me by the hand, walked into the middle of the 
room, and sent off two of his men to bring ihe boxes 
containing the presents from the canoes. In the 
mean time Kinneclimmets, the master of ceremo- 



166 

nies, whom I have already spoken of, made himself 
ready for the part he was to act, by powdering his 
hair with white down. — When the chests were 
brought in, specimens of the several articles were 
taken out, aud shewed by our men, one of whom 
held up a musket, another a skin, a third a piece 
of cloth, &c. On this, Kinneclimmets stepped 
forward, and addressing the chief, informed him 
that all these belonged to me, mentioning the 
number of each kind, and that they were oflFered to 
him for the pui chase of his daughter Eu-stoch-ee-ex' 
qua, as a wife for me. As he said this, the men 
who held up the various articles, walked up to the 
chief, and with a very stern and morose look, the 
complimentary one on these occasions, threw them 
at his feet. Immediately on which, all the tribe, 
both men and women, who were assembled on this 
occasion, set up a cry of Klack-ko-Tyee, thai is, 
Thank ye chief. His men, after this ceremony, 
having returned to their places, Maquina rose, and 
in a speech of more than hall an hour, said much in 
my praise to the A-i-tizzart chief, telling him that 
I was as good a man as themselves, differing from 
them only in being white, that I was besides 
acquainted with many things of which they were 
ignorant; that I ki\ev/ bow to make daggers, 
cheetoolths, and harpoons, and was a very valua- 
ble person, whom he was determined to keep always 
with him ; praising me at the same time for the 
goodness of my temper, and the rnanner in which 



167 

I had conducted myself sioce 1 had been with 
them, observing that all the people of Nootka, 
and even the children, loved me. 

9 

While Maqaina was speaking, his master of cere- 
jnoni'es was continually skipping about, making 
the most extravagant gestures, and exclaiming 
IVocash. When he had ceased, the A-i-tiz-zart 
chief arose amidst the acclamations of his people^ 
and began with setting forth the many good qua- 
lities and accomplishments of his daughter; that he 
loved her greatly, and as she was his only one, 
he could not think of parting with her. He spoke 
in this manner for some time, but finally concluded 
by consenting to the proposed anion, requesting 
that she might be well used and kindly treated by 
her husband. At the close of this speech, when 
the chief began to manifest a disposition to consent 
to our union, Kinneclimmets ai;ain began to call 
out as loud as he could bawl, Wocash, cutting a 
a thousand capers and spinning himself around on 
his heel like a top. 

When Upquesta had finished his speech, he di- 
rected his people io carry back the presents which 
Maquina had given him, to me, together with two 
young male slaves, to assist me in fishing. These, 
after havmg been placed before me, were by Ma- 
quina's men taken on board the canoes- This 
ceremony being over, we v^ere invited by one of 



158 

the priacipal chiefs to a feast, at his house, of 
Klussamit^ or dried herring, where after the eating 
was over, Kinneclimmets amused the company 
very highly with his trtciis, and the evening's en- 
tertainment was closed by a new war song from our 
men, and one in return from the A-i-tiz-zarts, ajc- 
companied with expressive gestures, and wielding 
of their weapons. 

After this our company returned to lodge at Up- 
questa's, except a few who were left on board the 
canoes, to watch the property. In the morning 
I received from the chief his daughter, with an 
earnest request that I would use her well, which 
I promised him; when taking leave of her parents, 
she accompanied me with apparent satisfaction on 
board of the canoe. 

The wind being a-head, the natives were obliged 
to have recourse to their paddles, accompany ibg 
them with their songs, interspersed with the ^yitti- 
cisms and buflfoonry of Kinneclimmets, who, in his 
capacity of king's steersman, one of his functions 
which I forgot to enumerate, not only guided the 
course of the canoe, but regulated the singing of 
the boatmen. At about five in the morning, we 
reached Tashees, where we found all the inhabi- 
tants collected on the shore to receive us. We 
were welcomed with loud shouts of joy, and excla- 
maliofli of Wocash, and the women taking my 



159 

bride under their charge, conducted her to Maquina's 
house, to be kept with them for ten days; it being " 
an universal custom, as Maquina informed me, 
that no intercourse should take place between the 
new married pair during that period. At night Ma- 
quina gave a great feast, which was succeeded by a 
dance, in which all the women joined, and thus ended 
the festivities of my marriage. 

The term of my probation being over, Maquina 
assigned me as an apartment, the space in the up- 
per part of his house, between him and his eider bro- 
ther, whose room was opposite. Here 1 establish- 
ed myself with my family, consisting of myself 
and wife, Thompson, and the little Sat-sat-sak-sis, 
who had always been strongly attached to me, and 
now solicited his father to let him live with me, to 
which he consented. This boy was handsome, 
extremely well formed, amiable, and of a pleasant 
sprightly disposition. I used to take a pleasure in 
decorating him with rings, bracelets, ear jewels, 
&c. which I made for him of copper, and orna- 
mented and polished them in my best manner. I 
was also very careful to keep him free from vermin 
of every kind, washing him and combing his hair 
every day. These marks of attention were not 
only very pleasing to the child, who delighted in 
being kept neat and clean, as well as in being 
dressed off in his finery, but was highly gratifying 



160 

both to Maquina and his queen, who used to ex- 
press much satisfaction at my care of him. 

In making my domestic establishment, I deter- 
mined, as far as possible, to live in a more com- 
fortable and cleanly manner than the others. — 
For this purpose, I erected with planks, a partition 
of about three feet high, between mine and the, 
adjoining rooms, and made three bedsteads of the 
same, which I covered with boards, for my family 
to sleep on, which 1 found much more comfortable 
than sleeping on the floor amidst the dirt. 

Fortunately I found my Indian princess both 
amiable and intelligent, for one whose limited 
sphere of observation must necessarily give rire to 
but a 4cw ideas. She was extremely ready to 
agree to any thing that I proposed relative to our 
mode of living, was very attentive in keeping her 
garments and person neat and clean, and appeared 
in every respect, solicitous to please me. 

She was, as I have said, about seventeen, her 
person was small, but well formed, as were her 
features, her complexion was, without exception, 
fairer than any of the women, with considerable 
colour in Ler cheeks, her hair long^ black, and 
rriuch softer than is usual with them, and her teeth 
small, even, and of a dazzling whitecess, while 



161 

theexpression of hor couateuauce, indicated sweet- 
ness of temper and modesty. She would, iodeed, 
have been considered as very pretty in any country, 
and excepting Maqaina's queen, was by far the 
handsomest of any of their women. 

With a partner possessing so many attractions, 
many may be apt to conclude, that I must have 
found myself happy, at least comparatively so ; 
but far otherwise vvas it with me, a compulsory 
marriage with the most beautiful and accomplished 
person in the world, can never prove a source of 
real happiness; and in my situation, I could not 
but view this connexion as a chain that was to bind 
me down to this savage land, and prevent my ever 
again seeing a civilized country; especially, when 
in a few days after, Maquiqa informed me that 
there had been a meeting of his chiefs, in which it 
had been determined, that as I had married one of 
their women, I must be considered as one of them, 
and conform to their customs, and that in future, 
neither myself nor Thompson should wear our Eu- 
ropean clothes, bat dress in Kutsaks like them- 
selves. This order was to me most painful, but I 
persuaded Maquina, at length, so far to relax in 
it as to permit me to wear those I had at present, 
which were almost worn out, and not to compel 
'Thompson to change his dress, observing, that as 
he was an old man, such a changs would cause his 
death. 

P 



162 

Their religious celebration, which the last year 
took place in December, was in this commenced on 
the 15th of November, and continued for fourteen 
days. As I was now considered as one of them, 
instead of being ordered to the woods, Maquina 
directed Thompson and myself to remain, and pray 
with them to Quahootze to be good to them, and 
thank him for what he had done. 

It was opened in much the same manner as the 
former. After which, all the men and women in 
the viljage a^embled at Maquina's house, in their 
plainest dresses, and without any kind of ornaments 
about them, having their heads bound around with 
the red fillet, a token of dejection and humiliation, 
and their countenances expressive of seriousness and 
melancholy. The performances during the conti- 
nuance of this celebration, consisted almost wholly 
in singing a number of songs to mournful airs, the 
king regulating the time by beating on his hollow 
plank or drum, accompanied by one of his chiefs, 
seated near him with the great rattle. In the mean 
time, they eat but seldom, and then very little, 
retiring to sleep late, and rising at the first appear- 
ance of dawn, and even interrupting this short 
period of repose, by getting up at midnight and 
singing. 

The ceremony was terminated by an exhibition 
of a similar character to the ona of the last year, 



163 

0at still more cruel. A boy of twelve years old, 
with six bayooets ruu into his flesh, one through 
each arm aad thigh, and through each side close 
to the ribs, was carried around the room, suspended 
upon them, without manifesting any symptoms of 
pain. Maquina, on my enquiring the reason of 
this display, informed me that it was an ancient 
custom of his nation, to sacrifice a man at the close 
of this 8olemnity,Mn honour of their God, but that 
bis father had abolished it, and substituted this 
in its place. The whole closed on the even- 
ing of the 29tb, with a great feast of salmon 
spawn and oil, at which the natives, as usual, 
made up for their late abstinence. 

A few days after, a circumstance occurred, 
which, from its singularity, I cannot forbear 
mentioning. I was sent for by my neighbour 
Yealthlower^ the king's elder brother, to file his 
teeth, which operation having performed, he in- 
formed me, that a new wife, whom he had a 
little time before purchased, having refused to 
skep with him, it was his intention, provided she 
persisted in her refusal, to bite oflF her nose. I 
endeavoured to dissuade him from it, but he was 
determined, and in fact, performed his savage 
threat that very night, saying that since she would 
not be his wife, she should not be that of any other, 
and in the morning sent her back to her father. 
P 3 



164 

Thia iohaaian act did not, however, proceed 
from any innate cruelty of disposition, or malice, 
as he was far from being of a barbarous temper; 
but such is the despotism exercised by these savages 
over their women, that he no doubt considered it 
as a just punishment for her offence, in being so 
obstinate and perverse; as he afterwards told me, 
that in similar cases, the husband had a right, 
with them, to disfigure his wife in this way, or 
some other, to prevent her ever marrying again. 

About the middle of December, weleftTasiiees 
for Cooptee. As usual at this season, we found 
the herrings in great plenty, and here the same 
scene of riotous feasting that I witnessed last year, 
was renewed by pur improvident natives, who, in 
addition to their usual fare, had a plentiful supply 
of wild geese, which were brought us in great quan- 
tities by the Esquotes. These, as Maquina in- 
formed me, were caught with nets made from bark, 
in the fresh waters of that country. Those who 
take them, make choice for that purpose, of a dark 
and rainy night, and with their canoes stuck with 
lighted torches, proceed with as little noise as pos- 
sible, to the place where the geese are collected, 
who, dazzled by the light, suffer themselves to 
be approached very near, when the net is thrown 
over them, and in this manner, from fifty to sixty, 
or even more, will sometimes be taken at one 
cast. 



165 

Oa the 15th of January, 1805, about midnight, 
I was thrown into consiJerable alarm, in conse- 
quence of an eclipse of the moon, being awakened 
from my sleep by a great outcry of the inhabitants. 
Ofl going to discover the cause of this tumult, I 
found them all out of their houses, bearing lighted 
torches, singing and beating upon pieces of plank, 
and whisn I asked them the reason of this proceed- 
ing, they pointed to the moon, and said that a 
great cod-fish was endeavouring to swallow her, 
and that they were driving him away. The origin 
of this superstition I could not discover. 

Though, in some respects, my situation was 
rendered more comfortable since my marriage, as 
I lived in more cleanly manner, and had my food 
better and more neatly cooked, of which, besides, 
I had always a plenty, my slaves generally fur- 
Dishing me, and Upquesta never failing to send me, an 
ample supply by the canoes that came from A-i-tiz- 
zart; still, from my being obliged at this seasoa 
of the year, to change my accustomed clothing, 
and to dress like the natives, with only a piece of 
cloth of about two yards long, thrown loosely 
around me, my European clothes having been for 
some time entirely worn out, I suffered more than 
I can express from the cold, especially as I was 
compelled to perform the laborious task of cutting 
and bringing the fire wood, which was. rendered 
atill more oppressive to me, from my comrade, for 
P 3 



166 

a considerable part of the winter, not having it in 
his power to lend me his aid, in consequence of an 
attack of the rheumatism in one of his knees, with 
which he suffered for more than four months, two 
or three weeks of which, he was so ill as to be un- 
der the necessity to leave the house. 

This state of suffering, with the little hope I 
now had of ever escaping from the savages, begaa 
to render my life irksome to me, still, however, I 
lost not my confidence in the aid of the Supreme 
Being, to whom, whenever the weather and a 
suspension from the tasks imposed on me, would 
permit, I never failed regularly, on Sundays, to 
retire to the wood to worship, taking Thompson 
with me when he was able to go. 

On the 20th of February, we returned to our 
gammer quarters at Nootka, but on my part, 
with far different sensations than the last spring, 
being now almost in despair of any vessel arriving 
to release us, or our being permitted to depart if 
there should. — Soon aftei our return, as prepara- 
tory to the whaling season, Maquina ordered me to 
make a good number of harpoons for hirofelf and 
his chiefs, several of which I had completed with 
some lances, when on the 16th of March, I was 
taken very ill with a violent cbolic, caused, I pre- 
sume, from having suffered so much from the cold, 
in going without proper clothing. For a number of 



167 

hours I was in great pain, and expected to die, 
and on its leaving me, I was so weak as scarcely 
to be able to stand, while I had nothing comforting 
to take, nor any thing to drink but cold water. 

On the day following, a slave belonging to Ma- 
quina died, and was immediately^ as is their cus> 
torn in such cases, tossed unceremoniously out of 
doors, from whence he was taken by some others, and 
thrown into the water. The treatment of this poor 
creature made a melancholy impression upon my 
mind, as I could not but think, that such proba- 
bly> would be my fate should I die among these 
heathens, and so far from receiving a decent burial, 
that I should not even be allowed the common 
privilege of having a little earth thrown over my 
remains. 

The feebleness in which the violent attack of 
my disorder had left me, the dejection I felt at the 
almost hopelessness of ray situation, and the want 
of warm clothing and proper nursing, though ray 
Indian wife, as far as she knew how, was always 
ready, even solicitous, to do every thing for me 
she could, still kept me very much indisposed, 
which Maquina perceiving, he finally told me, 
that if I did not like living with njy wife, and that 
was the cause of my being so sad, I might part with 
her. This proposal I readily accepted, and the 
next day Maquiua sent her back to her father. 



168 

On pirtiog with me, she discovered much eiiio- 
tiou, beggiug me that I would suffer her to remaiu 
till I had recovered, as there was no one who 
would take so good care of me as herself. But 
vvheu I told her she must go, for that 1 did not 
think I should ever get well, which in tiuth I but 
little expected, and that her father would take 
good care of her, and treat her much more kindly 
than Maquiua, she took an affectionate leave, 
telling me that she hoped I should soon get better, 
and left her two slaves to take care of me» 

Though I rejoiced at her departure, I was 
greatly affected with the simple expressions of her 
regard for me, and could not but feel strongly 
interested for this poor girl, who in all her conduct 
towards me, had discovered so much mildness, and 
attention to my wishes; and had it not been that I 
considered her as an almost insuperable obstacle to 
my being permitted to leave the country, I should 
no doubt have felt the deprivation of her society a 
real loss. After her departure, I requested Maqui- 
ua, that, as I had parted with my wife, he would 
permit me to resume my European dress, as, other- 
wise, from not having been accustomed to dress like 
them, I should certainly die. To this he consented, 
and I once more became comfortably clad. 

Change of clothing, but more than all, the hopes 
which I now began to indulge, that in the course of 



16U 

the summer I should be able to escape, in a short 
time restored me to health, so far, that I could 
again go to work in making harpoons for Maquina, 
who probably, fearing that he should have to part 
with me, determined to provide himself with a good 
stock. 

1 shall not, however, long detain the reader with 
a detail of occurrences that intervened between this 
period, and that of my escape, which, from that 
dull uniformity that marks tlie savage life, would be 
in a measure, but a repetition, nor dwell upon 
that mental torture I endured, from a constant 
coQiiict of hope and fear, when the former, almost 
wearied out with repeated disappointment, offered 
to our sinking hearts no prospect of release, but 
death, to which we were cca«tantly exposed from 
the brutal ignorance and savage disposition of the 
common people, who in the various councils that 
were held this season to determine what to do with 
us, in case of the arrival of a ship, were almost 
always for putting us to death, expecting by that 
means to conceal the murder of our crew, and to 
throw the blame of it on some other tribe. These 
barbarous sentiments were, however, universally 
opposed by Maquina and his chiefs, who would 
not consent to our being injured. But as some of 
tlieir customs and traits of national character, 
which I think deserving of notice, have not been 



170 

menlioned, I shall proceed to giv'« an account oi 
them. 



« 



The ofHce of king or chief, is, with those people, 
hereditary, and descends to the eldest son, or in 
failure of male issue, to the elder brother, who in 
the regal line, is considered as the second person in 
the kingdom. At feasts, as I have observed, the 
king is always placed in the highest, or seat of hon- 
our, and the chiefs according to their respective 
ranks, which appear, in general, to be determined 
by their aflSoity to the royal family, they are also 
designated by the embellishments of their mantles, 
or Kutsaks. The king, or head Tyee, is their 
leader in war, in the management of which he is 
perfectly absolute. He is also president of their 
councils, which are almost always regulated by his 
opinion. But he has no kind of power over the 
property of his subjects, nor can- he require them 
to contribute to his wants, being in this respect, no 
more privileged than any other person. He has ia | 
common with his ctiiefs. the right of holding slaves, 
which is not enjoyed by private individuals, a regu- 
lation probably arising from their having been origi* 
Dally captives taken in battle, -the spoils of war 
being understood as appertaining to the king,-' who 
receives and apportions them among his several^ 
chiefs and warriors, according to their rank and d«- 
lerts. 



171 

In conformity with this idea, the plunder of the 
Boston, was all deposited in Maquiaa's house, who 
distributed part of it among his chiefs, according to 
th^ir respective ranks or degree cf favour with him, 
giving to one, three hundred muskets, to another, 
one hundred and fifty, with other things ia like 
proportion. The king is, however, obliged to sup- 
port his dignity by making frequent entertaioments, 
and whenever he receives a large supply of provi- 
sion, he must invite all the men of his tribe to his 
house, to eat it up, otherwise, as Maquina told me, 
he would not be. consider as conducting like a 
Tyee, and would be no more thought of than a 
common man. 

With regard to their religion — They believe in 
the existence of a Supreme Being, whom they call 
Qiiahooize^ and who, to use Maqnina's expression, 
was one great Tyee in the sky, who gave them their 
fish, and could take them from them, and was the 
greatest of all king*. Their usual place of worship, 
appeared to be the Wdter, for whenever they bathed, 
they addressed so<tie words in fcrai cf prayer to the 
God above, intreating that he would preserve them 
in health, give them good success in fishing, &c. 
These prayers were repeated, with much more ener- 
gy, on preparing for whaling or for war as I have 
already mentioned. 

Some of them would sometimes go geveral milfls 



172 

to bathe, in order to do it in secret; tlie reason for 
this I could never learn, though I am induced to 
think it was in consequence of some family or pri- 
vate quarrel, and that they did not wish what they 
said to be heard; while at other times, they would 
repair in the same secret manner, to the woods, to 
pray. This was more particularly the case with 
the women, who might also, have been prompted by 
a sentiment of decency, to retire for the purpose of 
bathing, as they are remarkably modest. 

I once found one of our women more than two 
miles from the village, on her knees in the woods, ' 
with her eyes shut, and her face tamed towards 
heaven, uttering words in a lamentable tone, among 
which I distinctly heard, J^ocush Jh-zcelth, mean- 
ing good Lord, and which has nearly the same 
signification with Quahootze. Though 1 came f 
very near her, she appeared not to notice me, but \ 
continued her devotions, and I have frequently seen | 
the women go alone into the woods, evidently for j 
the purpose of addressing themselves to a superior ; 
being, and it was always very perceptible on their 
return, when they had been thus employed, from 
their silence and melancholy looks. 

They have no belief, however, in a state of fu- 
ture existence, as I discovered, in conversation 
with Maquina, at Tootoosch's death, on my at- 
tempting to convince hira that be still existed, and 



173 

that he would again see him after his death : but 
he could comprehend nothing of it, and pointing 
to the ground, said, that there was the end of him, 
and that he was like that. Nor do they believe in 
ghosts, notwithstanding the case of Tootoosch 
would appear to contradict this assertion, but that 
was a remarkable instance, and such a one as had 
never been known to occur before; yet from the 
mummeries performed over the sick, it is very 
apparent that they believe in the agency of spirits, 
as they attribute diseases to some evil one that has 
entered the body of the patient. Neither have 
they any priests, unless a kind of conjurer may he 
so consitlered, who sings and prays over the sick, 
to drive away the evil spirit. 

On the birth of twins, they have a most singular 
custom, which, I presume, has its origin in some 
religious opinion, but what it is, I could never 
satisfactorily learn. The father is prohibited for the 
space of two years from eating any kind of meat, or 
fresh fish, during which time, he does no kind of 
labour whatever, being supplied witii wiiat he has 
occasion for from the tribe. In the mean time, he 
and his wife, who is also oblig(;d to conform to the 
same abstinence, with their children, live entirely 
separate from the others, a small hut being built 
for their accommodation, and he is never invited to 
any of the feasts, except such as consist wholly of 
dried provision, where he is treated with gre;it 
Q 



174 

respect, and seated among the chiefs, though no 
more himself than a private indii4dual. 

Such birthg are very rare among theB**|"airin- 
stance of the kind, however, occurred while I was 
at Tashees the last time, hut it was the only one 
known since the reign of the former king. The fa- 
ther always appeared very thoughtful and gloomy, 
never associated with the other inhabitants, and was 
at none of the feasts, but such as were entirely of dried 
provision, and of this, he eat not to excess, and con- 
stantly retired before the amusements commenced. 
His dress was very plain, and he wore around his head 
the red fillet of bark, the symbol of mourning and 
devotion. It was his daily practice to repair to the 
mountain, with a chief's rattle in his hand, to sing 
and pray, as Maquina informed me, for the fish 
to come into their waters. When not thus em- 
ployed, he kept continually at home, except when 
sent for to sing and perform his ceremonies over the 
sick, being considered as a sacred character, and 
one much in favouir with their gods. 

These people are remarkably healthful, and live 
io a very advanced age, having quite a youthful 
appearance for their years. They have scarcely 
any disease but the cholic, their remedy for which 
is friction, a person rubbing the bowels of the sick 
violently, until the pain has subsided, while the 
conjuror, or holy man is employed, io the mean 



1T5 

?>me, ^fl^iiifiat^iog his gestures, singing, and repeatiui^' 
certain vvo^s, a^ifW^WSg off the evil spirit, when 
the patient llPmpped up in a bear skiu, in order to 
produce [^rspiration. 

Their ^re for the rheumatisirr, or similar paio^, 
which I %BiW applied by Maquina, in the case of 
Thompsotf, to whom it gave relief, is by cutting or 
icarifying^the part affected. In dressing wounds, 
they simply wash them with salt water, and bind 
them up with a strip of cloth, or the bark of a tree. 
They are, however, very expert and successful 
in the cure of fractured or dislocated limbs, reducing 
them very dexterously, and after binding them up 
with bark, supporting them with blocks of wood, 
so as to preserve their position. 

During the whole time I was among them, but 
five natural deaths occurred, Tootoosch and his 
two infant children, an infant son of Maquina, and 
the slave whom I have mentioned, a circumstance 
not a little remarkable in a population of about 
fifteen hundred; and as respects child-birth, so 
light do they make of it, that I have seen their 
women the day after, employed as usual, as if 
. little or nothing had happened. 

The Nootkians in their conduct towards each 
other, are in general .-Pacific and inoffensive, and 
appear by no means an ill tempered race, for I do 

a 2 



176 

not recollect any instaDce of a violent quarrel be- 
tween any of the men, or the men and their wives, 
while I was with them, that of Yeallhlower, except- 
ed. But when they are in the least offended, they 
appear to be in the most violent rage, acting like so 
many maniacs, foaming at the month, kicking 
and spitting most furiously ; but this is rather a 
fashion with them, than a demonatratioa of malig- 
nity, as in their public speeches, they use the same 
violence, and he is esteemed the greatest orator, 
Avho bawls the loudest, stamps, tosses himself 
about, foams and spits the most. 

Jo speaking of their regulations, I have emitted 
mentioning, that on attaining the age of seventeen, 
the eldest son of a chief, is considered as a chiefjiim- 
self, and that whenever the father makes a present, 
it is always done in the name of his eldest son, or if 
he has none, in that of his daughter. The chiefs, 
frequently purchase their wives at the age of eight 
or ten, to prevent their being engaged by others, 
though they do not take them from their parents un- 
til they are sixteen. 

With regard to climate, th« greater part of the 
spring, summer, and autumn, is very pleasant, the 
weather being at no time oppressively hot, and the 
winters uncommonly mild, for so high a latitude, 
at least as far as ray experience went. At Tashees 
and Cooptee, where we passed the coldest part 



177 

of the season, the winter did not set io till late in 
December, nor have I ever known the ice, even. on 
the fresh water ponds, more than two or three 
inches in thickness, or a snow exceeding four inches 
in depth, but what is wanting in snow, is amply 
made up in rain, as I have frequently known it 
during the winter months, rain almost incessantly 
for five or six days in succession. 

It was now past mid-summer, and the hopes we 
had indulged of our release, became daily more 
faint, for though we had heard of no less than seven 
vessels on (he coast, yet none appeared inclined to 
venture to Nootka. The destruction of the Bos- 
ton, the largest, strongest, and best equipped ship, 
with the most valuable cargo of any that had ever 
been fitted for the North West trade, had inspired 
the commanders of others with a general dread of 
coming thither, lest they should share the same 
fate; and though in the letters I wrote (imploring 
those who should receive them, to come to the re- 
lief of two unfortunate Christians who were suflFer- 
ing among heathen) I stated the cause of the Bos- 
ton's capture, and that there was not the least dan- 
ger iii coming to Nootka, provided they woult) fol- 
low the directions I laid down, still 'l felt very little 
encouragement, that any of these letters would 
come to hand, when on the morning of the nine- 
teenth of July, a day that will be ever held by me 
in grateful remembrance, of the mercies of God, 
Q 3 



178 

while I was employed with Thompson in forging 
daggers for the king, my ears were saluted with 
the joyful sound of three cannon, and the cries of 
the inhabitants, exclaiming, Weena, weena — Ma- 
methlee — that is, strangers—white men. 

Soon after several of our people, came running 
into the house, to inform me that a vessel under full 
sail was coming into the Tiarbour. Though my 
heart bounded with joy, I repressed my feelings, 
andaflFecting to pay no attention to what was said, 
told Thompson to be on his guard, and not betray 
any joy, as our release, and perhaps our lives, 
depended on our conducting ourselves so as to in- 
duce the natives to suppose we were not very 
anxious to leave them. We continued our work 
as if nothing had happened, when in a few minutes 
after, Maquina came in, and seeing us at work, 
appeared much surprised, and asked me if I did 
not know that a vessel bad come. I answered in 
a careless manner, that it was nothing to me. Hovr, 
John, said he, you no glad go board. I replied 
that I cared very little about it, as I had become 
reconciled to their manner of living, and had no 
wish to go away. He then told me^ that he had 
called a council of his people respecting us, 
and that we must leave off work and be present 
at it. 

The men having assembled at Maquina's houge^ 



179 

he asked them what was their opinion should he 
done with Thompson and myself, now a vessel had 
arrived, and whether he had not better go on board 
himself, to make a trade, and procure such articles 
as were wanted. Each one of the tribe who wished, 
gave his opinion. Some were for putting us to 
death, and pretending to the strangers, that a dif- 
ferent nation had cut off the Boston, while others, 
less barbarous, were for sending us fifteen or twen- 
ty miles back into the country, until the departure 
of the vessel. These, however, were the senti- 
ments of the common people, the chiefs opposing 
cor being put to death, or injured, and several 
of them, among the most forward of whom were 
Yaelthlower and the young chief, Toowinnakin- 
nish, were for immediately releasing us ; but this, 
if he could avoid it, by no means appeared to ac- 
cord with Maquina's wishes. 

Having mentioned Toowinnakinnish, I shall 
briefly observe, that he was a young man of about 
twenty-three years old, the only son of Toopee- 
shottee, the oldest and most respected chief of the 
tribe. His son bad always been remarkably kind 
and friendly to me, and I had in return frequently 
made for him daggers, cheetooKhs, arsd other 
things, in my best manner. He was one of the 
handsomest men among them, very amiable, and 
much milder in his manners than any of the others, 
as well as neater both in his person and house, at 



180 

least his apartment, witiiout even excepting Ma- 
quina. 

With regard, however, to Maquiaa's going oa 
board the vessel, vrhich he discovered a strong 
inclination to do, there was but one opinion, all 
remonstrating against it, telling him that the 
captain would kill him or keep him prisoner, in 
'consequence of his haviug destroyed our ship. 
When Maquina had heard their opinions, he told 
them that he was not afraid of being hurt from 
going oa board the vessel, but that he would, 
however, as it respected that, be guided by John, 
whom he had always found true. He then turned 
to me, and asked me if I thought there would be 
any danger in his going on board. I answered, 
that I was not surprised at the advice his people 
had given him, unacquainted as they were with the 
manners of the white men, and judging them by 
their own, but if they had been with them as much 
as I had, or even himself, they would think very 
different. That he had almost always experienced 
good and civil treatment from them, nor bad he 
any reason to fear the contrary now, as they never 
attempted to harm tho^ie who did not injure them, 
and if he wished to go oa board, he might do it, 
in my opinion with security. 

After refiectiug a few moraeats, he said, with 
much apparent satisfaction, that if I would write 



181 

a letter to the captain, telliog him good of him, 
that he had treated Thompson and myself kindly 
since we had been with him, and to use him well, 
he would go. It may easily be supposed that I 
felt much joy at this determination, but knowing 
that the least incaution might annihilate all my 
hopes of escape^ was careful not to manifest it, 
and to treat his going or staying as a matter perfect" 
ly indilTerent to me. 1 told him that if he wished 
me to write such a letter, I had do objection, as 
it was the truth, otherwise I could not have done 
it. 

I then proceeded to write the recommendatory 
letter, which the reader will naturally imagine was 
of a somewhat different tenor from the one he had 
required; for if deception is in any case warrantable, 
it was certainly so in a situation like our's, where 
the only chance of regaining that freedom of which 
we had been so unjustly deprived, depended upon 
it ; and I trust that few, even of the most rigid, 
will condemn me with severity for making use of it, 
on an occasion which alTorded me the only hope of 
ever more beholding a Christian country, and pre- 
serving myself, if not from death, at least from a 
life of continued suffenng. 

The letter which I wrote, was nearly in the fol- 
lowing terms : — 



182 
To Captain 



of the Bill 



' Nootka, July 19, 1805. 

Sir, 
The bearer of this letter is the Indian king by the 
name of Maquina. He was the instigator of the 
capture of the ship Boston, of Boston, in North 
America, John Salter captain, and of the murder 
of twenty five men of her crew, the two only sur- 
vivors being now on shore — Wherefore I hope you 
will take care to conSne him according to his merits, 
putting in your dead-lights, and keeping so good a 
watch over him, that he cannot escape from you. 
By so doing we shall be able to obtain our release 
in the course of a few hours. 

John R. Jewitt, At-ntuurer of the Boston^ 
for himself^ and 

John Thompson, Sail-maker of the said ship, 

1 have been asked how I dared to write in this 
manner, my answer is, that from ray long residence 
among these people, I knew that I had little to ap- 
prehend from their anger on hearing of their king 
being confined, while they knew his life depended 
upon my release, and that they wcJuld sooner have 
given up five hundred white men, than have had 
him injured. This will 'serve to explain the little 
apprehension I felt at their menaces afterwards. 



183 

for otherwise, sweet as liberty was to me, I should 
hardly have veotured oq so hazardous aa experi- 
ment. 

On my giving the letter to Maquina, he asked 
me to explain it to him. This I did line by line, as 
he pointed them out with his finger, but in a sense 
very different from the real, giving him to under- 
stand that I had written to the captain, that as he 
had been kind to me since I had been taken by him, 
that it was my wish that the captain should treat him 
accordingly, and give him what mollasses, biscuit 
and rum he wanted. When I had finished, placing his 
finger in a significant manner on my nnme at the 
bottom, and eyeing me with a look that seemed to 
read ray inmost thoughts, he said to me, '-'- John 
you no lie ?" Never did I undergo such a scrutiny, 
or ever experience greater apprehensions than I felt 
at that moment, when my destiny was suspended 
on the slightest thread, and the least mark of em- 
barrassment on mine, or suspicion of treachery on 
his past, would probaWy have rendered my life the 
sacrifice. Fortunately I was able to preserve my 
composure, and my being painted in the Indian 
manner, which Maquina had since my marriage, 
required of me, prevented any change in my coun- 
tenance from being noticed, and I replied with con- 
siderable promtitude, looking at him in my turn, 
with all the confidence I could muster, " Why do 
you ask me such a question, Tyee ? have you ever 



184 

known me to lie ?" " No." " Then how can yon 
suppose I should tell you a lie now, since I have 
never done it." As I was speaking, he still con- 
tinued looking at me with the same piercing eye, ^ 
but observing nothing to excite bis suspicion, he told 
me that he believed what I said was true, and that 
he would go on board, and gave orders to get ready 
his canoe. His chiefs again attempted to dissuade 
him, using every argument for that purpose, while 
his wives crowded around him, begging him on 
their knees, not to trust himself with the white 
men. Fortunately for my companion and myself, 
so strong was his wish of going on board the vesssl, 
that he was deaf to their solicitations, and making 
no other reply to them, than, '• John no lie," left 
the house, taking four prime skins with him as a 
present to the captain. 

Scarcely had the canoe put off, when he ordered 
his men to stop, and calling to me, asked me if 
I did not want to go on board with him. Sugpect- 
ing this as a question merely intended to ensnare 
me, I replied th*t 1 had no wish to do it, not 
having any desire to leave them. 

On going on board the brig, Maquina imme- 
mediately gave his present of skins and my letter 
to the captain, who on readiug it, asked him into 
tl e cabin, where lie gave him some biscuitand aglass 
of rum, at the same time, privately directing his 



185 

mate to go forward, and return with five or six of 
the mea armed. When they appeared, the captain 
told Maquina that he was his prisoner, and shouid 
continue so, until the two men, whom he knew to 
be on shore, were released, at the same time order- 
ing him to be put in irons, and the windows secur- 
ed, which was instantly done, and a couple of men 
placed as a guard over him. Maquina was greatly 
surprised and terrified at this reception ; he howe* 
ver, made no attempt to resist, but requested the 
captain to permit one of his men to come and see 
him. One of them was accordingly called, and 
Maquina said something to him which the captain 
did not understand, but supposed to be an order to 
release us, when the man returning to the canoe, 
it %is paddled ofif with the utmost expedition to the 
shore. As the canoe approached, the inhabitants, 
who had all collected upon the beach, manifested 
some uneasiness at not seeing their king on board, 
hut when on its arrival, they were told that the cap- 
tain had made him a prisoner, and that John had 
spoke bad about him in the letter, they all both men 
and women, set up a loud howl, and ran back- 
wards and forwards upon the shore like so many lU- 
natics, scratching their faces, and tearing the hair 
in handfuls from their heads. 

After they had beat about in this manner for some 
time, the men ran to their huls for their weapons, 
as if preparing to attack an invading eLeiriy, v/ijile 
R 



186 

Maquina*s wives and the rest of the women, came 
around me, and throwing themselves on their knees, 
begged me with tears to spare his life, and Sat-sat- 
saksis, who kept constantiy with me, taking me 
by the hand, wept bitterly, and joined his entreaties 
to theirs, that 1 would not let the white men kill his 
father. I told them not to afiBict themselves, that 
Maquina's life was in no danger, nor would th« 
least harm be done to him. 

The men were however, extremely exasperated 
with me, more parlicularly the common people, who 
came rnnning in the most furious manner towards 
me, brandishing their weapons, and threatening to 
cut me in pieces no bigger than their thumb nails, 
while others declared they vrould burn me alive o- 
ver a slow fire, suspended by my heeh. All this 
fury, however, caused me but little alarm, as I 
felt convinced they would not dare to execute their 
threats while the king was on board the brig. 

The chiefs took no j)art in this violent conduct, 
but came to me, and enquired the reason why 
Maquina had been thus treated, and if the captain 
intended to kill him. J told them that if they 
would silence the people, so that I could be heard, 
1 would explain all to them. They immediately 
put a stop to the noise, when I informed them that 
ijiie captain, in confining Maquina, had done it 
«ilv in order to make them release Thompson and 



187 

myself, as he well knew we were with them, and 
if they would do that, their King would receive uo 
injury, but be well treated, otherwise he would be 
kept a prisoner. 

As many of them did not appear to be satisQed 
with this, and began to repeat their murderous 
threats — Kill me, said I (o them, if it is your 
wish, throwing open the bear skin which I wore, 
here is my breast, I am only oue among so many, 
and can make no resistance, but unless you wish 
to see your king hanging by his neck to that pole, 
pointing to the yard-arm of the brig, and the sailors 
firing at him with bullets, you will not do it, O 
no, was the general cry, that mast never be; but 
what must we do? I told them that their best plaa 
would be, to send TlifcnpsoQ on hoard, to desire 
the captain to use Maquina well till I was released, 
which would- be soon. This they were perfectly 
willing to do, and I directed Thompson to go qii 
board. But he objected, saying that he would not 
leave me alone with the savages. I told him not to 
be under any fear for me, for that if I could get him 
off, I could manage well enough for myself, and 
Hiat I wished him immediately on getting on board 
the brig, to see the captain and request him-to 
keep Maquina close till I was released, as I was in 
no danger while he had him safe. 

When I saw Thompson off, I asked the natives 
R 2 



188 

what they intended to do with me. They said I 
must talk to the captain again, in another letter, 
and tell him to let his boat come on shore with Ma- 
quina, and that I should be ready to jump into the 
boat at the same time Maquina should jump on 
shore. I told them that the captain, who knew that 
they had killed my shipmates, would never trust 
his men go near the shore for fear they could kill 
them loo, as they were so much more numerous, 
hut that if they would select any three of their num- 
ber to go with me iu a. canoe, when we came with- 
in hail, I would desire the captain to send his boat 
with Maquina, to receive me in exchange for him. 

This appeared to please them, and after some 
whispering among the chiefs, who from what words 
I o«?rheard, concluded tSt if the captain should 
refuse to send his boat with Maquina, the three 
men would have no difficulty in bringing me back 
with them, they agreed'to my proposal, and select- 
ed three of their stoutest men to convey me. For- 
tunately having been for some time accustomed to 
see me armed, and suspecting no design on my part, 
they paid no attention to the pistols that I had a- 
bout me. 

As I was going into the canoe, little Sat-sat-sak- 
sis, who could not bear to part with me, asked me, 
with an affecting simplicity, since I was going a- 
way to leave him, if the white men would not let 



189 

his father come on shore, and not kill him. I told 
him not to be concerned, for that no one should in- 
jure his father, when taking an alTectiouate leave of 
me, and again begging me not to let the white men 
hurt his father, he ran to comfort his mother^ who 
was at a little distance, with the assurances I had 
given him. 

On entering the canoe, I seated myself in the 
prow facing the three men., having determined if it 
was practicable, from the moment I found Mai|uina 
Was secured, to get on bbird the vessel before be 
was released, hoping by that means, to be enabled 
to obtain the restoration of what property, belonging 
to the Boston, Mill reme^ined in the possession of 
the savages, which I thought, if it could be done, a 
duty that I owed to ti^ owners. With feelings of 
joy impossible to be described, did I quit the savage 
shore, confident now that nothing could thwart my 
escape, or prevent the exejcution of the plan that I 
had formed, as the nrien appointed to convey and 
gaard me, were armed with nothing but their pad- 
dles. 

As we came within hail of the brig, they at once 
ceased paddling, when presenting my pistols at 
them, I ordered them instantly to go on, or 1 
would shoot the whole of them. A proceeding so 
wholly unexpected, threw them into great coogter« 
nation, and resuming their paddles, in a few 
R 3 



190 

moments, to my inexpressible delight, I once more 
found myself along side of a Christian ship, a 
happiness which I had almost despaired of ever 
again enjoying. All the crew crowded to the side 
to see me as the canoe came up, and manifested 
much joy at my safety. I immediately leaped on 
board, where I was welcomed by the captain, 
Samuel Hill, of the brig Lydia of Boston, who 
congratulated me on my escape, informing me that 
he had received ray letter off Kloiz-zart, from the 
chief Machee Ulatilla, who came off himself in his 
canoe, to deliver it to him, on which he immediate- 
ly proceeded hither to aid me. I returned him my 
thanks in the best manner I could for his humanity, 
though I hardly knew what I said, such was the 
agitated state of my feelings at that moment, with 
joy for my escape, thankfulness to the Supreme 
Being who had so mercifully preserved me, and 
gratitude to those whom he had rendered instra- 
mental in my delivery, that I have no doubt, that 
what with my strange dress, being painted with 
red and black from head to foot, having a bear-skin 
wrapped around me, and my long hair, which I 
was not allowed to cut, fastened on the top of my 
head in a large bunch, with a sprig of green spruce, 
I must have appeared more like one deranged than 
a rational creature, as captain Hill afterwards told 
me, that he never saw any thing in the form of 
man, look so wild as I did when I first came on 
board. 






191 

The captain then asked me into tlie cabin, where 
I found Maquioa in irons, with a guard over him. 
He looked very melancholy, but on seeing me, 
his countenance brightened up, and he expressed 
his pleasure with the welcome of " Wocash John;" 
when taking him by the hand, I asked the captain's 
permission to take off his irons, assuring him that 
as I was with him there was no danger of his being 
in the least troublesome. He accordingly consent- 
ed, and I felt a sincere pleasure in freeing from 
fetters, a man, who, though he had caused the 
death of my poor comrades, had nevertheless, 
always proved my friend and protector, and whom 
I had requested to be thus treated, only with a 
vieWjOf securing my liberty. Maquina smiled and 
appeared mnch pleased at this mark of attention 
from me. When I had freed the king from his 
irons, captain Hill wished to learn the particulars 
of our capture, observing that an account of the de- 
struction of the ship and her crew had been received 
at Boston before he sailed, but that nothing more 
was known, except that two of the men were living, 
for whose rescue the owners had offered a liberal 
reward, and that he had been able to get nothing 
out of the old man, whom the sailors had supplied 
so plentifully with grog, as to bring him too much 
by the head, to give any information. 

I gave him a correct statement of the whole pro- 
ceeding, together with the manner in which my life 



192 

aaJthatof my coiiirade had beea preserved. On 
hearing my story, he was greatly irritated against 
Maquica, and said he ought to be killed. 1 obser- 
ved that however ill he might have acted ia taking 
our ship, yet that it might, perhaps, be wrong 
to judge an uninformed savage, with the same 
severity as a civilized person, who had the light 
of religion and the laws of society to guide 
him. That Maquina's conduct in taking our ship, 
arose from an insult that he thought be had received 
from captain Salter, and from the unjustifiable 
conduct of some masters of vessels, who had robbed 
him, and without provo,cation, killed a number of 
his people. Besides that, a regard for the safety 
of others ought to prevent his heing put to death, 
as I had live^ long enough with these people to 
know that revenge of an injury, is held sacred by 
(hem, and that they would not fail to retaliate, 
should we kill their king, on the first vessel or 
boat's crew that should give them an opportunity, 
and that, though he might consider executing him 
as but an act of justice, it would probably cost the 
the lives of many Americans. 

The captain appeared i& be convinced from what 
I said, of the impolicy of taking Maquina's life, 
and said that he would leave it wholly With roe 
whether to spare or kill him, as he was resolved 
to incur no censure in either case. I replied that 
I most certainly should never take the life of a man 



19;^ 

who had preserved mine, had I no other reason, 
but as there was some of the Boston's property still 
remaining on shore, I considered it a duty that I 
owed to those who \vere interested in that ship, to 
try to save it for them, and with that view I 
thought it would be well to keep him on board till 
it was given up. He concurred in this proposal, 
saying if there was any of the property left, it most 
certainly ought to be got* 

During this conversation Maquina was in great 
anxiety, as from what English he knew, he 
perfectly comprehended the subject of our delibera- 
tion; constantly interrupting me to enquire what 
we had determined to do with him, what the 
captain said, if his life would be spared, and if I 
did not think that Thompson would kill him. I 
pacified him as well as I was able, by telling him 
that he had nothing to fear from the captain, that 
he would not be hurt, and that if Thompson 
wished to kill him, he would not be allowed to do 
it. He would then remind me that I was in- 
debted to him for my life, and that I onght to do 
by him, as he had done by me. I assured him 
that such was my intention, and I requested him 
to remain quiet, and not alarm himself, as no 
harm was intended him. But I found it extremely 
difficult to convince him of this, as it accorded so 
little with the ideas of revenge enterlaiued by 
them. I told him however, that he must restore 



all the property still in his possesaioD, belongiag 
to the ehip. This he was perfectly ready to do, 
happy taescape oq suth terms. 

But as it was now past five, and too late for 
the articles to be collected, and brought off, I told 
him that he must content himself to renialD on 
board with me that night, and in the morning he 
should be set on shore as soon as the things were 
delivered. To this he agreed, on condition that 
I would remain with him in the cabin. I then 
went upon deck, and the canoe that brought me 
having been sent back, I hailed the inhabitantp, 
and (old them that their king had agreed to stay on 
board till the next day, when lie would return, 
but that no canoes must attempt to come near the 
vessel during the night, as they would be fired 
upon. They answered, IVohOf z^oho — very well, 
very well. 

I then returned to Maquina, but so great were 
his terrors, that he would not allow me to sleep, 
constantly disturbing me with his questions, and 
repeating, "John, you know when you was alone, 
and more than five hundred men were your enemies, 
I was your friend, and prevented them from put- 
ting yoa and Thompson to death, and now I am 
in the power of your friends, you ought to do the 
same by me. I assured hira that he would be 
detained on board no longer tlian whilst the proper- 



l9o 

ty was released, ancl that as soon as it was done 
he would be set at liberty. 

At day break I hailed the natives, end (old them 
that it was iVlaquina's order that they should bring 
off the cannoa, and anchors, and whatever remain- 
ed with them of the cargo of tlie ship. This they 
set about doing with the utmost expedition, trans- 
porting the cannon and anchors by lashing together 
two of their largest canoes, and covering them with 
planks, and in the course of two hours, tliey 
delivered every thing on board that I could recol- 
lect, with Thompson's and noy chest, containing 
the papers of the ship, &c. 

When every thing belonging fo the ship had 
been restored, Maquioa was permitted to rettirn 
in his canoe, which had been sent for him, with 
a present of what skins he had collected, which 
were about sixty, for the captain, in acknowledge- 
ment of his having spared his life, and allowed 
bim to depart uniiurt. 

Such was also, the transport he felt when captain 
Hill came into the cabin, and told him that he was 
at liberty to go, that he threw off his mantle, which 
consisted of four of the very best skins, and gave it 
to him, as a mark of his gratitude, in return for 
which, the captain presented him with a new great 



196 

coat and hat, with which he appeared much delight- 
ed. The captain then desired me to inform him that 
he should return to that part of the coast in Novem- 
ber, and that he wished him to keep what skins he 
should get, which he would buy of him. This Ma- 
quina promised, saying to me at the same time, 
" John, you know I shall be then at Tashees, but 
when you come raakepozo, which means, fire a gun 
to let me know, and I will come down." When 
he came to the side of the brig, he shook me cordial- 
ly by the hand, and told me that he hoped I would 
come to see him again in a big ship, and bring much 
plenty of blankets, biscuit, mollasses and rum, for 
him and his son who loved me a great deal; and that 
he would keep all the furs he got for me, observing 
at the same time, that he should never more take a 
letter of recommendation from any one, or ever trust 
himself on board a vessel unless I was there. Then 
grasping both my hands, with much emotion, while 
the tears trickled down his cheeks, he bade me fare- 
well, and stept into the canoe, which immediately 
paddled him on shore. 

Notwithstanding my joy at my deliverance, and 
the pleasing anticipation I felt of once more behold- 
ing a civilized country, and again being permitted 
to offer up my devotions in a Christian church, I 
could not avoid experiencing a painful sensation on 
paring with the savage chief, who had preserved 



197 

my life, and in general treated roe with kindness, 
and considering their ideas and naauners, much 
better than could have been expected. 

My pleasure was also greatly damped by an un- 
fortunate accident that occurred to Toowinndkia- 
nish. That interesting young chief had come on 
board in the first canoe in the morning, anxious to 
see and comfort his ki.jg. He was received with 
much kindness by captain Hill, from the favourable 
account I gave of him, and invited to remain on 
board. As the muskets were delivered, he was in 
the cabin with Maquina, where was also the cap- 
tain, who on receiving them, snapped a number in 
order to try the lochs; unluckily on3 of them 
happened to be loaded with swan shot, and going 
off, discharged its contents into the body of poor 
Toowinnakinnisb. who was sitting opposite. Oa 
hearing the report, 1 instantly ran into the cabin, 
where 1 found him weltering in his blood, with the 
captain, who was greatly shocked at the accident, 
endeavouring to assist him. 

We raised him up, and did everything in oar 
power to aid and comfort him, telling him that we 
felt much grieved at his misfortune, and that it was 
wholly unintentional; this he told me he was per- 
fectly satisfied of, and while we dressed and bound 
up his wounds, in the best manner we could, he 
bore the pain with great calmness, and bidding me 
S • 



198 . 

(arewell, was put on board one of the canoes, and 
taken on shore, where after languishing a few days, 
he expired. To me, his misfortune was a source i 
of much affliction, as he had no share in the mas- \ 
sacre of our crew, was of a most amiable character, 
and liad always treated me with the greatest kind- 
ness and hospitality. 

The brig being under weigh, immediately on 
Maquiua's quitting us, we proceeded to the north- 
ward, constantly keeping the shore in sight, and 
touching at various places for the purpose of 
trading. 

Having already exceeded the bounds I had pres- 
cribed myself, I shall not attempt any account of 
our voyage upon the coast, or a description of the 
various nations we met with in the course of it, 
among whom wer« a people of a very singular 
appearance, called by the sailors the Wooden-lips, 
They have many skins, and the trade is principally 
managed by their women, who are not only expert 
in making a bargain, but are as dexterous in the 
management of their canoes, as the men are else- 
where. 

After a period of nearly four months from oar 
leaving Nootka, we returned from the northward 
to Columbia river, for the purpose of procuring 
masts, &c. for oar brig, which had suffered consi- 



199 

derably in her spars during a gale of wind. We 
proceeded about ten miles up the river, to a small 
Indian village^ where we heard from the inhabi- 
tants, that captains Clark and Lewis, from the 
United States of America,, had been there about a 
fortnight before, on their journey over- land, and 
had l^ft several medals with them, which they 
shewed us. The river at this place, is of conside- 
rable breadth, and both sides of it from its entrance, 
covered with forests of the very finest pine timber, 
Hr and spruce, interspersed with Indian settle- 
ments. 

Firom this place, after providing ourselves with 
spars, we sailed for Nootka, where we arrived in 
the latter part of November. The tribe being 
absent, the agreed signal was given, by firing a 
cannon, and in a few hours after a canoe appeared, 
which landed at the village, and putting the king 
on shore, came off to the brig. — Eoquiry was 
immediately madeby Kinnecliramits, who was one 
of the three men in the canoe, if John was there, as 
the king had some skins to sell them if he was. I 
then went forward and invited them on hoard, 
with which they readily complied, telling me that 
Maquina had a number of skins with him, but tbat 
he would not come on board unless I would go on 
flhore for him. This I agreed to, provided they 
would remain in the brig in the mean time. To 
this they consented, and the captain taking them 
S 2 



200 

into the cabin, treated them with bread and molas- 
ses. I then went on shore in the canoe, notwith- 
standing the remonstrances of Thompson and the 
captain, who, though he wanted the skins, advised 
me by no means to put myself in Maquina's 
power; but I assured him that I had no fear as 
long as those men were on board. 

As I landed Maquina came up and welcomed 
me with much joy: on enquiriug for the men^^l 
told him that tfciey were to remain till my return. 
" Ah John," said he, " I see you are, afraid to 
trust me, but if they had come with you, I should 
not have hurt you, though I should have taken 
good care not to let you go on board of another 
vessel.'* He then took his chest of skins, and step- 
ping into the canoe, I paddled him along-side the 
brig, where he v/as received and treated by Cap- 
tain Hill with the greatest cordiality, who bought 
of him his skins. He left us much pleased with 
his receplion, enquiring of me how many moons it 
would be before I should come hack again to see 
him and his son; saying, that he would keep all 
his furs for me, and that as soon as my son, who 
was then about Gve months old, was of a suitable 
age to take from his mother, he would send for 
him, and take care of him as his own. 

As soon as Maquina had quitted us, we got 
under weigh, and stood again to the northward. 



101 

W'e contiaued on the coast until the eleventh of 
August, 1806, when having completed our trade, 
we sailed for China, to tlie great joy of all our 
crew, and particularly so \o rae. With a degree 
of satisfaction that I can ill express, did I quit a 
'coast, to which I was resolved nothing should 
again tempt me to return, and as the tops of the 
mountains sunk in the blue waves of the ocean, 
I seemed to feel my heart lightened of an oppres- 
&:ve load* . 

We had a prosperous passage to China, arriving 
at Macao in December, from whence the Brig pro- 
ceeded to Canton. There I had the good fortune 
to meet a townsman and an old acquaintance, in 
the mate of an English East India man, named 
John Hill, whose father, a wealthy merchant in 
Hull, in the Baltic trade, was a next door neighbour 
to mine. Shortly after our arrival, the captain 
being on board of an English ship, and mentioning 
his having had the good fortune to liberate two men 
of the Boston's crew from the savages, and that one 
of them was named Jewitt, ray former acquaintance 
immediately came on board the brig to see me. 

Words can ill express my feelings on seeing 
him. Circumstanced as I was, among persons who 
were entire strangers to rae, to meet thus in a 
foreign land, with one between whom and myself 
Jt considerable intimacy had subsisted, was a plea- 
S 3 



202 

sure that those alone who have beea ia a simi- 
lar sitaatioa can properly estimate. He appear- 
ed on his part, no less happy to see me, whom 
he supposed to be dead, as the account of our cap- 
ture had been received in England some time before 
bis sailing, and all my friends supposed me to have 
been murdered. From this young man, I received 
every attention and aid that a feeling heart, inte- 
rested in the fate of another, could confer. He 
supplied me with a new suit of clothes, and a hat, 
a small sum of money for my necessary expences, 
and a number of little articles for sea stores on my 
voyage to America. I also gave him a letter for 
my father, in which I mentioned my wonderful 
preservation and escape, through the humanity of 
captain Hill, with whom I should return to Boston. 
This letter he enclosed to his father, by a ship 
that was just sailing, in consequence of which it 
was received much earlier than it otherwise would 
have been. 

We left China in February, 1807, and after a 
pleasant voyage of one hundred and fourteen days, 
arrived at Boston. My feelings on once more 
finding myself in a Christian country, among a 
people speaking the same language with myself, 
may be more readily conceived than expressed. 
In the Post Office in that place, I found a letter 
for me from my mother, acknowledging the receipt 
of mine from China; expressing the great joy of my 



203 

family on hearing of my being alive and well, 
whom they had for a long time given up for dead, 
and requesting me to write to them on receiving her 
letter, which I accordingly did. While in Boston, 
I was treated with much kindness and hospitality 
by the owners of the ship Boston, Messrs. Francis 
and Thomas Amory of that place, to whom I feel 
myself under great obligations for their goodness to 
me, and the assisance which they so readily afiford'< 
ed a stranger in distress. 



204 

Names of the Crew of the Ship Boston^ belonging to 
Boston in Massachusetts^ owned hy Messrs and T. 
Aniory^ Merchants^ of that place — Jll of whom, 
excepting two, were on the ^1d of March, 1803, bar- 
barously murdered by the savages of Nootka* 



John Sailer, 


of Boston, 




Captain 


B. Delouissa, 


Ditto, 




Chief Mate 


William Ingraham, 


of New York, 




Second Mate 


Edward Thompson, 


ot Blyih (l,ngland) 




Boatswain 


Adam Siddle, 


ot Hull ditto 




Carpenter 


Philip Brown, 


of Cambridge, (Mass. 


) 


Joiner 


John Dorlhy, 


of Situate, ditto 




Blacksmith 


Abraham Waters, 


of Philadelphia, 




Steward 


Francis Duffield, 


of Penton, (England) 




Tailor 


John Wilson, (blackman)of Virginia, 




Cook. 


William Caldwell, 


of Boston, 




Seama» 


Joseph Miner, 


of Newport, 




Ditto 


William Robinscnj 


of Leigh, (Scotland) 




Ditto 


Thomas Wilson, 


of Air, ditto 




Ditto 


Andrew Kelly, 


Ditto, ditto 




Ditto 


Robert Burton, 


of the Isle of Man 




Ditto 


James M' Clay, 


of Dublin, 




Ditto 


Thomas Flatten, 


of Blackney, Norfolk, 


Eng 


;. Ditto 


Thomas New ton, 


ofHull, 


do. 


l>itto 


Charles Bates, 


of St James Deeping 


do. 


Ditto 


John Hall, 


of Newcastle 


do. 


Ditto 


Samuel Wood, 


of Glasgow, (Scotland] 


1 


Ditto 


Peter Alstrom, 


Norwegian, 




Ditto 


Francis Marten, 


Portuguese, 




Ditto 


Jupiter Senegal (blackman) 




Ditto 


John Thompson, 


Philadelphia, 




Sail Maker, 



who escaped— since dead 
John II. Jewitt, of Hull, (England) Armourer, 

the writer of the Journal from vx hence this Narrative is taken, and 
■who at present, March 18!5, resides io Middletowu, in the State of 
Connecticut. 



205 

WARSONG OF THE NOOTKA TRIBE. 

Commencing with a Chorus repeated at the end of 
each line. 



Hah-yee hah yar har, he yar hah. 

Hah-yah hee yar har — he yar hah. 

le yie ee yah har — ee yie hah. 

le yaree yar hah — ee yar yah. 

le yar ee [ yar yar hah — Je yar ee yee yah ! 

I-ye ma hi-ehill at-siah Kla-ha — Hah-ye-hah. 
Que nok ar parts arsh vvaw — le yie- yar. 
Waw-hoo naks aar hasch — Yarhah. I-yar hee 

I yar. 
Waw hoo naka ar hasch yak-queetssish ni-ese, 
Waw har. Hie yee ahhah. 

Repeated over and over with gestures and braadish- 
iog of weapons. 

NOTE. 

le-yee ma hi chill, signifies. Ye do not know. 
It appears to he a poelical mode of expression, the 
common one for you do not know, being, Wik- 
kum-(dash; from this, it would seem that they 
have two languages, one for their songs and ano- 
ther for common use The general meaning of 
this first stanza appears to be. Ye little know ye 
men of Kiahar, what valiant v^arriors we are. 
Poorly can our foes contend with us, when we 
come on with our daggers, &c. 

The Nootkians have no songs of an historical 
nature, nor do they appear to have any tradition 
respecting their origin. 



206 
A LIST OF WORDS 

In the Nootki0n Language^ the most in use. 



Check-up, 


Man. 


Klootzmab, 


Woman, 


Noowexa, 


Father. 


Hooma-hexa, 


Mother. 


Tanassis, 


Child. 


Katlahtik, 


Brother. 


Kloot-chem-up, 


Sister. 


Tanassis check-up^ 


Son. 


TaDassi8-kloots-mah> 


Daughter. 


Tau-hat-se-tee, 


Head. 


Kassee, 


Eyes. 


Hap-se up, 


Hair. 


Neetga, 


Nose. 


Parpee, 


Ears. 


Chee-chee, . 


Teeth. 


Choop, 


ToDgUCr 


Kook-a-nik-sa, 


Hands. 


Kiish-klin, 


Feet. 


•Qop-helth, 


Sun or Moon. 


Tar-toose, 


Stars. 


Sie-jah, 


Sky. 


Toop elth. 


Sea. 


Cha-hak, 


Fresh water. 


Meet la, 


Rain. 


Qaeece, 


Snow. 


Noot-chee, 


Mountain or hill 


Kia-tur miss, 


Earth. 


Een-nuk-see, 


Fire or fuel. 


Mook-see, 


Rock. 


Muk-ka tee, 


House. 


VVik 


No. 



207 



He-ho, 

Kak-koelth, 

Mah-hack, 

Klack-e-miss, 

Quart lak, 

Coo-coo-ho-sa, 

Moo-watch, 

Sohar, 

Too8ch-qua, 

Pow-ee, 

Kloos a-mit, 

Chap-atz, 

Oo-wha-pa, 

Chee-rae-na, 

Chee-men, 

Sick-a-miany, 

Toophelth, 

Cham- mass, 

Cham-mas-sish, 

Moot-sus, 
Chee-pokes, 
Hah-welk8, 
Nee-sim-mer-hise, 
Cbat-ta-yek, 
Klick-er yek, 
Quish-ar, 
Mar met ta, 
Pook 8hit"tle, 
Een-a-qui- shit- tie, 
Ar-teese, 
Ma-mook-sa mab, 



Yes. 
Slave. 
Whale. 
Oil. 

Sea otter. 
Seal. 
Bear. 
Salmon. 
Cod. 
. Halibut. 
Herrmg. 
Canoe. 

Paddle. 

A fish hook. 

Fish -hooks. 

Iron. 

Cloth. 

Fruit. 

5 Sweet or pleasant to the 

"^ taste. 

Powder. 

Copper. 

Hungry. 

Enough. 

Knife or dagger. 

Rings. 

Smoke. 

Goose or duck. 

To blow. 

To kindle a fire. 

To bathe. 

To go to fish. 



A smootish check' up, A warrior 

Cha -alt-see klat-tar wah,Go oflf, or go away. 

Ma-kook, To sell. 

Kah-ah pah-chilt, Give me something. 

Oo-nah, How many. 

ly-ah-ish, Much. 

Komme-tak) I anderstaDd. 



208 

I-yee ma- hak, I do not UDderstand. 

Eni-raa-chap, To play. 

Kle-whar, To Jaugh. 

Mac kam-raah-sish, Do you want to bny. 

Kah ahcoh, Brio^^ it. 

Sah-wauk, O^e," 

Att-Ia, Two. 

Kat-sa, Three. 

Mooh, Four. 

Soo-chah, Five, 

Noo-poo, Six. 

At-tle-poo, Seven. 

At-lah-quelth, Eight. 

Savv-wauk-quelth, Nine. 

Hy-o, Ten. 

Sakaitz, Twenty. 

Soojewk, One hundred. 

Hy-e-oak, One tLoasand. 



FINIS. 



Rowland Hurst, Printer, Wakeiield. 



JAN 17 1956 












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